After Aenir
by noc
Summary: My first story ever. The Dark world is in peril from the mysterious horde led by the evil crone Yale. Our heroes Tal and Milla must find a way to fight their enemies but as one people and not as a people divided.
1. Prolog

Chapter 1  
  
High above on the top floor of the seventh tower, far above from the bustle of the six other towers noises could be heard in the Room of Aggressive Serenity.  
  
Haaaarrrr!!! Smash!!! Thonk thonk thonk.  
  
As the steady thud of wood on marble died away a man stood up from amidst the wreck of a wooden dummy. Labored breathing caused puffs of smoke to billow from his mouth. It was cold at the top of the seventh tower. It always was. Ever since he was old enough to learn he was always told it was cold outside. Unlike all the children who grew up in the Towers, Tal never believed it until his class took a field trip up to the top of his Orange tower where he first encountered snow.  
  
It had been cold then but it was nothing compared to the bitterness of the Violet tower. The only person who went up there on a regular basis was Tal but on some days his great uncle Ebbit would visit, like today.  
  
"Well done! Now we have firewood to heat our frozen bones," exclaimed Ebbit.  
  
"Oh but Great Uncle what would people think of you if they saw you make a fire the primitive way?" replied Tal in a sarcastic tone.  
  
"They'd think I was an Icecarl.or just an eccentric old man.or a man who has lost all his senses. "  
  
Ebbit droned on and on. Great Uncle Ebbit had not always been quite normal. Everyone saw Ebbit to be senile but Tal knew better. Ebbit wasn't as insane as everyone saw him to be. Ebbit was as cunning as a man could be; he just never acted like one.  
  
".Or maybe they'd think I was just plain cra."  
  
"So what do I owe the rare pleasure of seeing you up here?" interrupted Tal.  
  
"Huh? What? Oh.Oh yes I was having my breakfast of distilled cordial of Halo- flower and 2 cups of sweet water when Joral came by and asked for a game of Beastmaker."  
  
"So what does a game of Beastmaker have to do with me?" asked Tal who was feeling irritable at the old man. Tal was tired from his training and Ebbit was draining the last bit of patience Tal had.  
  
Although Tal knew interrupting Ebbit only made things worse and there was no use at getting mad at him so Tal just stood silently.  
  
"Hang on boy let me finish.where was I? Oh yes Beastmaker.Joral and I agreed to a hundred games and we made our way to his new Beastmaker table. Apparently he found a former underfolk who makes them and the cards. You should see the new table it is really something."  
  
Ebbit droned on like this for what seemed like an eternity. Tal just stood there silently breathing the Rovkir pattern for tranquility when he couldn't take anymore.  
  
"Sorry Uncle but I have to go.I.um.got to go see someone." stammered Tal.  
  
Tal moved away and headed for the long spiral walkway. The walkway was 4 stretches wide and had no railing so if anyone should fall they would have a long time to think about how they landed. It was a long way down and Tal was tired from the mornings training. Then he smiled to himself. Tal had an idea on how to escape the tiredness. It was a crazy idea spawned from fatigue but it would keep him awake for hours. He would weave a light rope and throw himself off the edge. 


	2. contemplation

Chapter 2  
  
Shocked at his bravado, Tal stepped back from the edge of the walkway. Unconsciously he had moved towards the edge.  
  
"What am I doing? This is potentially fatal. Where did I get all this bravery and confidence?" thought Tal.  
  
As these thoughts ran through his mind he was unconsciously pulling the colours for making the light rope into his mind. Fatigue grew in him and the thought of the long trip down the walkway kept appearing in his mind as he silently debated with himself.  
  
"Safe, long, tiring, walk down the walkway on one hand and dangerous, short fun freefall down to the bottom level on the other." thought Tal.  
  
"Fun?" said Tal aloud.  
  
Tal brooded over this thought and started with some quick calculations.  
  
"If it is 1000 stretches to walk up the spiral then it should be 500 stretches of rope that I need to make plus more for miscellaneous uses. 530 stretches will do."  
  
Tal started to make the rope. He went over the colours to make sure he wouldn't forget anything then he started to weave the rope.  
  
"Red light for strength," he said aloud.  
  
A red strand of light flowed from his sunstone.  
  
"Yellow light for flexibility,"  
  
A yellow strand shot out and started to twist with the red strand.  
  
"Indigo light for binding,"  
  
An indigo strand shot out from the stone and encased the other two strands. Tal stood in concentration for a few minutes creating the rope. Lights twirled and twisted together then coiled itself on the floor. When Tal had reached 520 stretches he made loops for both ends of the rope. On one end he fused a loop with indigo light to make a kind of restraint and then he tied it to his legs. As Tal got to the other end he found himself in a dilemma. He didn't have anything to secure the loop onto!  
  
Frantically, Tal looked for an anchor and in his panic almost lost concentration which would have dissipated the rope instantly. Lucky he found a stone gargoyle three stretches above him. Tal sighed in relief and looped the rope around it.  
  
Finally he was ready to jump. Tal hopped to the edge. As Tal reached the edge he found himself reminiscing about the last time he had done this. Tal had last jumped with a light rope in the spirit world Aenir from the top of Hanging Rock to escape detection.  
  
At that time he needed to jump in a hurry and only had time to worry about being captured but now he had all the time he wanted and his thoughts seemed to come to one single thought.  
  
"How messy would it be if I crashed on the floor?" 


	3. falling again

Chapter 3  
  
Tal wasn't scared to jump but he wasn't propelled to either. Then he heard a voice from behind.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Tal was startled and quickly turned to see who it was. Turning around wasn't such a good idea. Tal, being so close to the edge, threw himself off balance and teetered on the very edge wind milling his arms. Tal was in such a state of surprise that he didn't notice the arm that was grabbing him. But it was too late gravity also grabbed hold of Tal and its grip was stronger that his rescuer's.  
  
Tal and his rescuer toppled over the edge and fell. At first Tal fell awkwardly then he stiffened his body and righted himself so that he fell like a pin. His rescuer was not so lucky. His rescuer tumbled and somersaulted out of control. Tal seeing this reacted immediately now all too aware of the danger he had put him and his rescuer in. Tal's rescuer was three stretches below.  
  
Tal started to move his arms in a wading motion and slowly moved towards his rescuers' body. The ground slowly started to fill his vision and the image of two mangled bodies made him redouble his efforts to get to the falling body which somehow managed to stop tumbling.  
  
With his rescuer's steady fall and Tal's fast wading, Tal managed to catch his target within a few seconds and unconsciously looped a violet lasso around his rescuer's waist and secured it around his own waist. As he did this, Tal observed that his rescuer was a woman with familiar long white- blond hair that was as white as snow.  
  
Tal didn't have enough time to ponder his observation because at this time he was aware that the ground was now perilously close. Tal estimated a least a 100 stretches until he and his cargo hit smooth marble. Tal now counting backwards was shifting his position to get under his rescuer.  
  
Tal felt responsible for the fall and wasn't about to let anyone else because of his mistakes. Tal and the woman zoomed head first towards the floor. At the last minute Tal planned to cut the rope and cushion the fall for his rescuer.  
  
"Eighty.seventy.sixty.fifty." Tal said aloud over the din of rushing air.  
  
"Thirty.twenty.te."  
  
Right at that very moment the rope pulled taunt and Tal and his rescuer were pulled upwards thirty stretches at a sudden shocking speed that left their stomachs feeling uneasy. Tal and the woman bounced up and began to fall once again this time the risk of a fatal whiplash was eminent.  
  
Tal calmed his nerves and prepared to cut the rope and cushion the woman's fall. Tal waited until they were ten stretches from the ground then in one swift movement he flashed his sunstone and violet light shot out to cut the rope and lasso restraint. Tal threw his arms around his rescuer and moved into a position where he would absorb most of the collision with the fall.  
  
Then all of a sudden they hit. Tal's shoulder landed first and a familiar searing pain went through his shoulder. The woman went rolling to the side out of his arms. Tal rolled the other way letting out a scream of pain every time he rolled over his dislocated shoulder. Finally he came to a halt and the pain intensified then Tal lost all consciousness. 


	4. becoming the legend

Chapter 4  
  
When Tal awoke the first thing he expected was an intense pain in his shoulder but he felt nothing more than a dull ache. Someone must have put his arm back into its socket while he was unconscious. Keeping his eyes closed, Tal started to get up but a hand rested on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.  
  
"Lay still boy. Quite a nasty tumble you took," said a familiar voice. Tal opened his eyes and saw Ebbit crouched next to him.  
  
Ebbit's sunstone had traces of blue healing light swirling within its depth, a sign that he had dulled the pain in Tal's arm. Then Ebbit spoke.  
  
"Things are changing boy, and I'm not sure if it's for the better but that's no reason to commit suicide, what were you thinking?"  
  
"I wasn't," Tal replied weakly.  
  
"Youngin' these days have no brains, it's a wonder how they get dressed in the morning."  
  
Tal bit back a nasty reply. His uncle obviously didn't put any heart into the insult and was for the first time more concerned for Tal than he ever was. Then he spoke more seriously than Tal had ever heard.  
  
"Tal you're Emperor now and you cannot go and do stupid things like putting yourself and others in danger just so that you can escape hardship. People need you more than you think."  
  
"I know Uncle.I know."replied Tal as he thought of what he had just done.  
  
It was a good idea at first but now in retrospect Tal saw just how much an idiot he was. Now that Tal was Emperor he had a responsibility to lead. The weight of the crown was on his shoulders and no matter how hard he tried he could not escape it. His actions today were not the actions of a king. He almost killed himself and the woman. Suddenly Tal got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Uncle Ebbit, where is the woman? She fell with me and landed." started Tal.  
  
Tal got up and looked around for the lady and regretted it as pain seared into his side.  
  
"Careful, your ribs took a hit bit tip, along with your hip kit lit." said uncle Ebbit snapping back to his old self.  
  
"I will. So who and where is the lady I almost killed?"  
  
"She went down down down to her quarters. As to who she is, well wouldn't you like to know bow show," replied Ebbit.  
  
"I take it I didn't do her any serious harm?" asked Tal a little relieved he didn't kill her, whoever she was.  
  
"No but if you take up jumping from impossible heights as a hobby then you've damaged your brain more than you've hurt hers."  
  
"So, who is she?" asked Tal, relieved that he and the mystery woman were alive.  
  
"Oh you'll meet her soon enough.but we've got to get you looking like a king before six. You can at least look like one even if you don't act like one."  
  
With that Ebbit led the way down to the Throne room. As they arrived at the entrance they parted and went back to their quarters to get ready for the nights events. Tonight was Tal's inaugural ceremony. Tal dreaded this night ever since Sharakkor's defeat. In the recesses of his mind Tal knew that someday he would have to be king. He saw the signs.  
  
They weren't important enough to consider at the time as Tal had bigger problems. Now the truth seemed to come back and haunt him. He was to be king and though he tried everything to get out of it, he was blocked at every turn. Tal finally arrived at his house. The door had his family sigil on it, a Sthil-beast leaping over seven stars. The only difference to this one was it wasn't orange like his old house was. It was violet and above the stars was a violet royal crown.  
  
Tal pushed the large oak door open and as soon as he stepped inside he was assaulted by an underfolk trying to get him dressed.  
  
"Sire where have you been it is nearly the sixth hour, I must get you dressed." said Tao anxiously at the same time trying to undress Tal.  
  
"Hello Tao. I'm sorry I'm late. It's alright I can dress myself. Go on ahead to the hall and get to your seat, I'll be down as soon as I can." came Tal's reply.  
  
Tao objected many times and still tried to get Tal dressed. It wasn't until Tal had to order Tao to leave before he left the room sulkily. Tal looked at the robes he was to wear tonight.  
  
It was a pearl white ensemble made from the finest silk. Tal changed into the long pants that went over the boots. Then he wore a sleeveless gi style top and shrugged on the sleeveless outer coat. After he had changed he look into his full length mirror and what he saw was not the boy who defeated Sharakkor but the king of legend he was made out to be.  
  
Tal sighed. It was seven years ago and much had changed. He saw it everywhere. After the defeat of Sharakkor there was total panic and chaos spread through the seven towers but slowly things became docile and that was when things changed. The underfolk became free however reluctant about the rise to the status of free. The renegade Chosen were informed of what had happened.  
  
Most believed but a host didn't and formed a political group know as the Chosen Proper. There was a union of Icecarl and Chosen which led to an Icecarl Embassy in the castle where an old Crone known as Yukin and her Shield Maiden bodyguards resided. And all spiritshadows were sent back to Aenir. Only then did Tal saw the change in himself.  
  
Physically he was no longer a scrawny boy but a handsome, young (well muscled) man. He hadn't changed much mentally except for the adoption of his huge sense or responsibility.  
  
"Tal old boy today is the day you become a legend." he muttered to himself. 


	5. crowning party

Chapter 5  
  
The ceremony was to start with a couple of rituals and then Tal's pledge and finally ending with the celebration feast. The traditional ceremony would have been much different to the one that would be done tonight. Since the fall of the old regime most of the old rituals changed or perished with the old regime. As Tal sat in the throne the inauguration began.  
  
First the rituals began. The Icecarls' ambassador, Yukin, performed the prayer to Astyer to bind Tal to his duty as king. Most Chosen old and new had heard the prayer before. It was spell that was once used to bind shadows to make them slaves to the Chosen. Needless to say that everyone present was shocked that an Icecarl knew the chant. When that was over Tal felt a strange feeling rise up inside. He was surprised to feel it because it was so familiar and yet so foreign. Tal felt that his senses were acutely tuned to the environment around him.  
  
He saw everyone in a different light and somehow felt his friends from his foes. Suddenly he heard a voice speaking to him.  
  
"Sire..are you alright?"  
  
Tal turned to see who was speaking to him. It was Yukin. Tal then looked out at the audience around him and seeing their concerned looks brought him back to reality.  
  
"Tal.pull yourself together, man." he mentally berated himself.  
  
"Proceed." Tal spoke softly.  
  
After his momentary lapse of concentration, Tal was to recite his pledge to the multitude of people who came. This included the Chosen Proper, Icecarls, and the Chosen.  
  
"I, Tal Graile-Rerem, pledge not only to be your Emperor but your friend. I accept my office with honor and promise to uphold any promises made to anyone, Icecarl, Chosen, Chosen Proper and Freefolk. If under any circumstances that I cannot fulfill my duty as Emperor, the power then falls to the light and dark viziers whom I will appoint after my inauguration." Tal took a deep breath and continued, ".To everyone present here today."  
  
Immediately the hall erupted into a frenzy of whispers. Tal scanned the room and saw much of the noise coming from the Chosen Proper. Ebbit, who had quietly smiled to himself cleared his throat loud enough to bring the hall back to the ceremony.  
  
Tal smiled unable to control the relief he felt when Ebbit used his natural aura of authority. When it got quiet again it was time for the Chosen's binding and acceptance ritual. The seven keystone holders of each order recited the ritual pledge of honor and duty, starting with the red keystone holder and progressing through the other orders.  
  
"Do you Tal Graile-Rerem pledge to honor the duties of a strong leader?" asked the red keystone holder Lokar.  
  
"I do." came Tal's reply.  
  
"Then I, Lokar red keystone holder, as representative for the red tower pledge my allegiance to you." said Lokar with a smile.  
  
The ceremony became faster after the first pledge, and when it ended each keystone holder offered their light and Tal's sunstone answered with a flash of violet light then the light washed over Tal and bathed him in all its glory. When this was done the crowd chanted.  
  
"Long live King Tal!"  
  
Tal felt everyone's love and support and felt a little easier about being Emperor and as first act as king he invited everyone to the Feasting hall for a celebration to remember. At that point everyone had moved swiftly out of the hall towards the Feasting Hall.  
  
"Oh dark take it!" Tal swore.  
  
"What is it?" asked one of the guards.  
  
"I forgot to announce the names of my Viziers," answered Tal.  
  
"Would you like me to bring everyone back into the hall, sire?" asked the guard who Tal knew to be Ethar's sister, Sathar.  
  
Tal thought and he concluded that it was going to be embarrassing if he ordered everyone back to the hall to correct a mistake.  
  
"No Sathar, I think I'll tell them when they want to hear it but for now let's enjoy the party." said Tal.  
  
Sathar nodded and left to round up her men who were trying to get people back into the hall. Tal sighed and sat in the throne a little while longer thinking about the same thing he thought a hundred times a day.  
  
"Will I be a good Emperor?"  
  
The Feasting hall was large. It could fit the host of people and more. The hall had already been set by underfolk who refused the offer to freedom and worked as servants. In the middle of the hall there was a dance area and in the corner there was a host of musicians Icecarl and Chosen alike.  
  
Food and drink were set and the aromas of it were in the air along with the music. All guests were in the hall and the party was in full swing by the time Tal had got there. He made his way towards the front of the hall to his table where Yukin and various other important representatives were eating.  
  
As he made his way to the table many who were dancing conveyed their congratulations to him as he passed. People Tal knew and people he didn't alike congratulated and patted him on his back as he passed. A few minutes later he arrived at the table and was greeted by the various representatives. As he sat at his seat he noticed the seat next to him was empty. Yukin followed his gaze.  
  
"The castle/clan ambassador will be arriving soon." Yukin informed.  
  
Tal had never heard of that office and was about to ask who the ambassador was when he saw someone come in the door. Tal held his breath and could swear that he felt time stop as Milla walked through the door. 


	6. old scores settled

Chapter 6  
  
Tal stared. Milla was beautiful. Milla was wearing a Chosen dress that was both elegant and sensuous. It was the first time Tal had ever seen Milla in 7 years. Milla like Tal had changed. From Tal's perspective she had grown into a beautiful young woman. Milla scanned the room and as she did she made eye contact with Tal.  
  
She smiled warmly and Tal returned Milla's smile just as warmly. Milla cocked her head towards the mezzanine. Tal understood and made his way to the mezzanine after excusing himself from the table. Tal got there first and tried to scan the dance floor for Milla until he felt a tap on his shoulder.  
  
Tal slowly turned around and was face to face with Milla. Milla still smiled warmly. Tal was unnerved by her smile. It was a rare sight. Tal looked Milla's face and saw a different person to the one he saw seven years ago. The Milla standing in front of him was a bit taller than he remembered and she was smiling a lot more. Similar feelings were running through Milla's mind.  
  
In front of her was a handsome young man who stood an inch taller than her. He was also very much toned. Milla remembered a short stringy boy but this man was not him.  
  
"Milla, you've changed so much, I like it." Tal said musingly.  
  
"As have you."replied Milla still smiling.  
  
Tal was so entranced with Milla's smile that he found himself rudely staring at her perfect white teeth. Milla was not one to fidget but as Tal's lovely deep auburn brown eyes stared at her, her fingers started to play with a piece of string on her gown. Tal finally snapped out of his daze after a few moments of awkward silence.  
  
"Sorry Milla, I've just n.never seen you smile s.so much you must be happy," stuttered Tal and turned away to look down at the party, his face red with embarrassment.  
  
Milla stopped fidgeting and walked over to Tal her smile gone and replaced with a frown of concentration. Tal noticed and turned to face her. This was the Milla he knew but for some reason Tal sensed something was wrong and could only blame himself.  
  
"Milla I'm sorry for staring at you but I haven't seen you in seven years and you've changed a lot since then. I was only trying to find the old you I guess. Do you know what I mean?" asked Tal.  
  
"Yes I do."Milla replied shortly.  
  
Tal felt torn. He was torn between the overwhelming feeling to hug her tightly and never let go and to just stand where he was. Tal and Milla's history was a complicated one. Their relationship was forged in the heat of war. They had to stand together to fight a powerful enemy.  
  
They succeeded but what were they left with? Seven years of separation and power that they were not ready for. Tal was Emperor and Milla an ambassadress of her people. Tal and Milla just stood there looking at the party. Milla was the first to voice her feelings which was another surprise to Tal.  
  
"Tal, we've grown up and over time things heal don't they?"  
  
Tal was about to answer when he realized that it had been a rhetorical question.  
  
"Tal, I owe you a lot for saving my life many times as do you but if we are to create a friendship we have to get past the score keeping, it is."Milla paused to find a word to get her point across, when Tal interrupted her thinking.  
  
".Pointless to keep our rivalry? I agree but we can't just ignore it can we? I maybe acting like a fool right now but there are some things that I don't just want to throw away like the oath we took," Tal held up his left wrist to show his scars.  
  
Milla was surprised at the gesture but was also relieved to see that Tal had understood what she had meant and had not forgotten the bond that they shared. Milla lifted her right wrist and they closed the gap between them and touched wrist.  
  
When they did they both felt an aura of a feeling that was foreign to both of them. This feeling made them feel dizzy and lightheaded they felt the world stop as if the whole dark world wanted them to savor the moment. The music came to its end and the room was filled with applause. A slow song started and Tal was at a dilemma. He wanted to ask Milla to dance with him but a tide of thoughts came into his mind.  
  
"What a stupid idea, Milla doesn't know how to dance the Chosen way." he thought.  
  
Milla was watching Tal and was puzzled to see him act in an awkward fashion. He had never been like this when he was with her before Sharakkor's defeat. Milla looked hard at Tal. He had his back to her and seemed to be having a silent argument with himself. Milla seemed to feel his agitation. It seemed to radiate from him. Milla felt pained to see him like this and went over to him to calm him.  
  
"Just breathe Tal. Why are you so tense?"  
  
Tal gave up all hope of trying to impress Milla and gave a soft self mocking laugh.  
  
"I was wondering how I was going ask you to dance with me but my throat seized up I made a fool of myself."  
  
Milla smiled and laughed softly herself and patted him on the back.  
  
"Is that all, I thought you were attempting to kill yourself again." laughed Milla. Tal stood there feeling awkward. Milla controlled her laughter and became serious again.  
  
"Tal I would be delighted to dance with you." said Milla extending her hand towards Tal.  
  
Tal took Milla's hand and lightly kissed it.  
  
"Thank you and I just wanted to say you look beautiful tonight." Milla flushed.  
  
Her normally delicate pale face had a pink tinge at her cheeks.  
  
Tal met Milla's eyes and for the first time they felt the same feeling.  
  
"Are you feeling what I'm feeling?" asked Tal who felt hazy.  
  
"I think so." Milla replied equally lightheaded.  
  
"Shall we dance?" asked Tal snapping back to his normal self.  
  
Milla smiled and led the way to the dance floor. 


	7. how deep is your love?

Chapter 7  
  
When it came time for the party to end everyone made their way to there respective towers to retire for the night. Milla and Tal were the last to leave. They left together walking slowly and talking about the times they had spent together and what was happening in each of their world.  
  
"The clans have found new selski to follow and all is well." informed Milla.  
  
"That's good news. A lot has been happening here too." said Tal and then he launched into a report about the castle status.  
  
The conversation led deep into the night with Tal and Milla discussing solutions to problems and reminiscing. While they walked and talked they encounter Gref and Kusi, Tal's younger brother and sister. As they passed they giggled to each other and started to tease Tal.  
  
"Hey Tal, nice night for a walk with a pretty girl." giggled Gref.  
  
"Yeah you two look like husband and wife, just like everyone says." snorted Kusi.  
  
Tal and Milla blushed for the second time that night.  
  
"You are so unromantic Tal you may be king but you're so stiff when it comes to women, I mean the atmosphere was great tonight it's a wonder you two haven't kissed yet." Gref said in all sincerity.  
  
"Shut it Gref!" said Tal through gritted teeth.  
  
"Kusi, what do you mean when you say everyone?" asked Milla demandingly.  
  
Kusi was never good at lying so she just told the truth and her reply was met by an awkward silence save Gref's immature giggles. Tal, who couldn't stand the taunts from Gref and Kusi, decided to explain the situation.  
  
"Look Gref I was only walking Milla to her room and my love life is none of your business but for your information I happen to like Milla as a friend who."  
  
"Will someday be your wife?" interrupted Gref and Kusi strangely serious.  
  
"What!?!" exclaimed Tal and Milla.  
  
Gref and Kusi were taken aback by their sudden outburst. Then Kusi recovered and spoke to Gref.  
  
"Mother and father must be wrong. They don't seem to be in love at all." said Kusi.  
  
"No." mused Gref, ".they just don't know that they love each other yet." explained Gref.  
  
"Oh well then we should leave them alone then, Gref," said Kusi.  
  
"No this is more fun." Gref said suppressing a giggle.  
  
With that Gref and Kusi took off at a run and disappeared around a corner. Tal and Milla were in a state of embarrassment. Both were flushed as red as a belish root. Milla and Tal continued on in silence that was deafening until Tal broke it.  
  
"Milla, why aren't you in your furs tonight? I have never seen you without your furs or a weapon."  
  
"Your mother said that it would please you to see me in this garb and she was very persuasive about it. As to a weapon I have my talons." answered Milla.  
  
Tal and Milla were feeling very relieved as they arrived at Milla's quarter's but a strange overwhelming desire inside of them kept them from parting. They both knew what to do to quell the desire but neither one was prepared to make the first move. Then Milla spoke.  
  
"Goodnight Tal." she said quietly and turned to open the door. Before she could go in Tal grabbed her wrist. Reflexively Milla twisted her wrist and grabbed Tal's then spoke.  
  
"If you want it you have to earn it."  
  
Tal was confused but had no time to ponder what Milla had said before he ducked a punch. Clearly Milla wanted to fight and this obvious fact made Tal even more puzzled. One moment Tal was ready for his first kiss and the next moment he was dodging punches and kicks.  
  
"What are you doing Tal attack back, don't you want to settle one last score?" Milla raged.  
  
Tal couldn't believe what he was hearing. Milla wanted Tal to fight to settle a score? He had thought that they were past this. There was a small pause where Tal had time to consider what had been said. When Milla advanced Tal fought back surprising Milla with his skill and gentle ferocity. They both fought in the corridors of the violet tower. Parrying blows and countering.  
  
Neither one looked ready to give up. They fought on and on and after what seemed like an eternity; Tal managed to get Milla in a lock from behind that seemed inescapable.  
  
"I'm...still...waiting...for you...to...hit me," whispered Tal in a mocking tone that seemed to drip with admiration or was it affection? Milla smiled and stamped on Tal's foot and while he recoiled in pain Milla elbowed him and he fell onto the floor.  
  
"Like that?" mocked Milla still in her fighting mood that seemed to wane and start to give way to affection for Tal as the night went on.  
  
As Tal lay on his back on the cool marble floor he smiled and flipped back up with a speed that surprised both fighters.  
  
"You're good," commented Tal while cracking his neck and knuckles. "But not great,"  
  
Then they started to fight again. They fought for hours. Only pausing to whisper kind taunts into each others ears. When the fighting actually stopped, they found themselves in Tal's living room. Feeling exhausted Tal and Milla made their way to his bedroom and collapsed onto the large size bed.  
  
Both Milla and Tal were in a state of ecstasy combined with adrenaline from the night's events. As they laid on the bed, Tal's emotions got the better of him and he leaned over to kiss Milla's forehead. Milla didn't flinch or make any move to stop Tal, so he took it as a sign to continue. He slowly moved his lips down towards Milla's.  
  
Milla felt unsure of proceeding further but as Tal finally planted his first kiss on the nape of her neck she submitted to his will. Emotions were high from the consumed alcohol at the party. One thing led to another and the night was alive with the sounds of love being made.  
  
Authors note: Thanks cloud master for the review (it's my first one). I know he's an emperor but I guess It kind of slipped my mind when I was writing it and I'll try to fix the "Ebbitt" spelling 


	8. impending problems

Chapter 8  
  
Milla awoke first. She had instinctively counted her breathes during her sleep and awoke automatically. It was always dark in the castle but she knew it was morning because she had counted 1267 breaths. Milla gently pried herself from Tal's muscled arms and moved silently towards the bathing tub she had sighted across the living room last night.  
  
Inside she found a golden tub. She twisted the valve of the pipe that was directly above the tub and hot water came spilling out and into the tub. The scent of ghalt stone hit her nostrils and it was a tell tale sign that the water was heated from the volcanic recesses deep below the old underfolk levels.  
  
After Milla had bathed and dried herself she made her way back towards the bedroom where her clothes lay strewn on the floor. She put them on and after planting a soft kiss on Tal's forehead she left and headed back to her quarters.  
  
When Milla arrived at her quarters she found the door wide open. Milla readied her talons as she cautiously entered the room. She cautiously explored the rooms looking for the person responsible for trespassing. She was about to look in the bedroom when she heard a noise from the sun chamber.  
  
Quickly and quietly Milla snuck towards the door that led to the sun chamber. Bracing herself Milla grabbed the door handle and with a heave opened the door. As soon as she got in the room she lengthened the talons on her fingers and looked around. Sitting in the chair amidst the warmth of the sunstones was a woman clad in simple black furs.  
  
The women had shocking luminous blue eyes that seemed to glow. A tell tale sign of a young Crone. Milla immediately shortened her talons until they were no more threatening than a pair of long violet fingernails. The Crone in the chair was facing Milla but was not looking at her. Milla observed more closely at the Crones' eyes and found that they were clouded then she understood. The Crone was communicating with other Crones in the collective mass of minds that all Crones were apart of.  
  
As Milla waited to speak to the one Crone in front of her she tried to recognize the face of the Crone sitting in front of her. Then it dawned on her. The woman sitting in front of Milla was none other than Malen. Malen was one of the four people who had helped to defeat Sharrakor. After a few minutes of waiting Malen's eyes unclouded and she sneezed. With a sheepish smile, Malen finally looked at Milla and greeted her.  
  
"Hello Milla, long time no see. How are you?" she said in her ethereal voice.  
  
"I am well Malen. What are you doing here? I heard you were on your way to the Far Raiders to tell them what happened to me." Milla said casually.  
  
"Well I was but there were more pressing issues at hand." Malen said cryptically.  
  
"Is there anything that needs my assistance?" asked Milla guardedly.  
  
Malen smiled a hesitant smile then she was silent for a few minutes as her eyes clouded again. Milla waited patiently and brooded over what Malen had just said.  
  
".More pressing issues at hand?" thought Milla frowning.  
  
Malen remained silent for a few more minutes then once again she sneezed and her eyes unclouded.  
  
"Forgive me Milla but the crones have just informed me of last night's activities."  
  
Milla cocked an eyebrow. What did the Crones want? Why had the Crones taken a sudden interested in Chosen events? Confused, Milla decided to voice her thoughts.  
  
"Forgive me for being direct but why do you have a sudden interest on what the Chosen do? What urgent business brings you here Malen?"  
  
Malen closed her eyes and then after a second or two opened them. Milla noticed that her eyes were not as luminous as they usually were. Milla looked at Malen and for the first time Milla felt as if she were looking at Malen and not the hoard of Crones. Then Malen spoke.  
  
"Milla I have disconnected myself from the Crones for a moment so I can speak with you privately." Milla stood there awestruck. Milla had never heard of a Crone who had cut herself off from the collective mind. Malen was taking a big risk by doing this. She could be given to the ice or worse cast out of her clan. Whatever Malen had to say must be of great importance for her to risk her life.  
  
"Milla I have come to tell you important tidings, listen carefully, we only have a few minutes before the Hoard become suspicious of my actions." Malen said urgently.  
  
"I'm listening." replied Milla.  
  
"Good. Milla there is discord among the clans. Some clans believe that a union with the Chosen is like making a false oath. They feel that the Chosen will betray us again and have acted to sever all ties with them. Nearly half of the clans have put a plan into action. The clans are recruiting as many other clans, Thanes and wanderers. The reason for this we don't know but we suspect that they maybe raising an army of a sort."  
  
Milla was shocked to hear the news but soon recovered as she had sort of expected this to happen but on such a scale.  
  
"Do you know what or who they plan to attack?" asked Milla.  
  
"We believe that they will try to attack the Chosen and all who side with them."  
  
"Who are on our side and who started raising the army?" asked Milla enraged.  
  
"Most of the Northern and Eastern clans are loyal but we fear that not even we can stop the Western and Southern clans, not with the army they are building. As fro their leader we have reason to believe that the Far Raiders are responsible for the discord between the clans."  
  
Milla stopped breathing. The Far Raider's clan was Milla's clan before she was cast out and taken in by the Ruin Ship clan. Then Malen spoke again and more quickly this time.  
  
"Milla I realise how difficult this is to you but you must listen to me. The Crone Mother of the Ruin Ship has requested your return so that we can combat this problem and retain peace between our people and prevent a potential civil war. Come back Milla. We need your help." At that very moment Malen's eyes clouded over. Milla was in shock about what she just heard. How could there be a war in such a peaceful time? To make matters, worse the Far Raider's were responsible for the start of the potential war. Milla was lost in her thoughts so she only heard a distant sneeze, a tell tale sign that told Milla, Malen had just reconnected with the Hoard. Then Malen spoke.  
  
"Milla pass on my congratulations to the new King of the Chosen," said Malen putting a slight emphasis on the word congratulations.  
  
"I will do so," Milla's responded in a mechanical tone.  
  
"I must leave now, farewell." Malen said and clapped her knuckles and walked out.  
  
Authors note: still waiting for the reviews peoples. 


	9. hard to let go of a new thing

Chapter 9  
  
After the meeting with Malen, Milla changed into her furs and packed for the journey down towards the Ruin Ship. Milla, despite her constant efforts to push the problems away, started to think about them.  
  
"How could there be a war?" thought Milla as she folded the dress Tal's mother had given to her the previous night.  
  
"What could the war possibly be about? It couldn't simply be about trusting the Chosen. It has to be something deeper than that but what could possibly be so terrible to start a war and what do the Far Raiders have to do with it and what do I do now?"  
  
Milla's train of thought continued on like this until she had fully packed. She then took a step back from the pack and looked at it but her mind was not on the pack but far away and deep in thought.  
  
"I may be a warrior but warriors do not have the power to sway minds." Milla brooded.  
  
"First things, first, I must inform Tal." Milla thought aloud.  
  
Leaving her pack in her room, she strapped on her new Merwin horn sword and went to find Tal to tell him of the bad news. Milla started her search at his quarters and was informed by Tao that Tal had gone to the throne room.  
  
"I'm very sorry Miss but Emperor Tal has left to the throne room." said Tao.  
  
Curiosity crept into Milla's mind as Tao spoke.  
  
"Tao, do you like being a slave?" asked Milla rather forwardly.  
  
Tao was taken aback but Milla's directness but soon recovered and spoke to her as if she had insulted him.  
  
"I'm proud to be in the service of the Emperor," Tao said defiantly, "I do not appreciate being called a slave either, I am not a slave I am the Emperor's servant. In all my years of service to his highness I have never been more at home with what I do."  
  
"I am sorry if I have offended you but I was under the impression that all underfolk were to be freed." Milla apologized.  
  
"Free?" asked Tao confused.  
  
"Yes free, like Crow had wanted all the underfolk to be," Milla explained.  
  
"Crow of the freefolk? That idiot? He was fighting for nothing. We were always free," Tao spat, "We had a wonderful life until he started his little rebellion. If he were still here I'd give him few words of advice."  
  
Tao ranted and rave for what seemed like ages until Milla took her leave as respectfully as she could. As she walked away down the hall she could still hear Tao raving about his hatred for Crow. As Milla made her way to the throne room she was met by many stares from Chosen and Freefolk alike. She answered the stares with an awkward smile that turned into a type of scowl.  
  
Finally she reached the Throne room and saw Tal sitting on the throne attending to business that seemed to make him constantly frown. Standing in front of Tal was Benem, Crows older brother. Tal and Benem seemed as though they were in a deep discussion that was obviously of great importance but when Tal saw Milla enter Benem and Tal seemed to come to a quick conclusion.  
  
Tal dismissed Benem and he left the room stopping only to greet Milla as he passed her. Benem closed the Throne room doors behind him and left Tal and Milla, the only people left in the room.  
  
Tal strode towards Milla with a beaming smile on his face. Milla returned the smile and Tal seemed to visible go weak at the knees as she did. Milla was about to speak when Tal took her into an embrace and kissed her lips affectionately, cupping her delicate pale face in his warm hands. Milla was surprised at his forwardness but didn't resist as she felt some of her worries lift as Tal softly kissed her. Milla wanted to make the feeling of her problems lifting to last so she grabbed Tal's robes and pulled him closer as if she could physically hold onto the feeling and never let it go.  
  
When they parted Milla was left with a feeling of euphoria. It had seemed she had left the world of her troubles and landed lightly in another world where she and Tal were the only two beings. She was far from her troubles. Until Tal spoke  
  
"Milla it is so good to see you. When I found my bed empty this morning I thought you had left and we were going to be separated again." whispered Tal still embracing Milla.  
  
Milla felt a twinge of guilt that ripped her rudely from her special world as she contemplated not telling Tal of the tidings. After all it wasn't directly Tal's problem. Milla didn't want to affect Tal's happiness but she had to tell him.  
  
"Tal I have to leave." Milla said shortly.  
  
Tal let go of Milla and held her shoulders to look her in the eyes. Milla couldn't look at him.  
  
"What? Why?" asked Tal frantically.  
  
Then she told Tal of the bad news. Tal's facial expressions turned from worry to confusion to shock then his face was just unreadable when Milla mentioned the Far Raiders. Milla noticed that Tal was rubbing his wrist where a small triangular scar still remained. Milla waited for his reaction but when Tal just stood there silently, Milla turned to leave. Before she could get away Tal took hold of her wrist.  
  
"When do you leave?" he asked recovering from his silence.  
  
"As soon as I inform Yukin of my leave and return the dress to your mother." Milla replied.  
  
Tal embraced Milla once again and didn't let go. Milla felt his longing to be with her and tried as best she could to shove her feelings for him deep into the back of her mind. Tal was not making their parting easy.  
  
"Tal I-I must go." stuttered Milla trying to sound firm.  
  
Tal responded by tightening his embrace. Milla was about to elbow him in the stomach when Tal let go tears flowing freely from his eyes. When Milla saw this she felt a feeling well up inside her. She didn't know the feeling as it was foreign to her but she knew it to be some kind emotional pain. Tal turned away feeling stupid because he was crying in front of Milla. It wasn't until he had heard footsteps walking away from him that he realized that he didn't get a chance to say good bye. Tal turned in time to see Milla close the door and when it shut Tal felt his heart shattered into a million pieces.  
  
Authors note: kind of sappy but I want to explore Milla and Tal's relationship a bit more.It intrigues me. 


	10. the plan

Chapter 10  
  
Tal felt utterly depressed. The news of an Icecarl/Chosen war to Milla's absence had taken its toll on him. Tal couldn't think of anything to do. He wanted a shoulder to cry on but that wasn't kingly he reminded himself. He needed to go on with the days tasks, Tal needed to keep busy. Milla had said she was the only one who could straighten the situation out. He had to trust her but a small worry started to eat at him.  
  
"What if she couldn't handle the situation and died while trying to?" thought Tal.  
  
"No.no... Stop thinking like that!" Tal ordered himself.  
  
"She'll be fine, after all she is an Icecarl," Tal reassured himself.  
  
"Just keep busy take your mind off it,"  
  
Tal did the tasks that he had to do that day. Sort out some renegades and organize a Freefolk living area. Those were the major tasks to do and he did them mechanically. As Tal finished showing Benem the rooms of the unused white halls, he met Ebbitt.  
  
"Hello, Great Uncle." Tal greeted mechanically.  
  
"What are you up to boy?" asked Ebbitt merrily.  
  
"Just finished showing Benem around the white halls," Tal said mechanically.  
  
"Not much to see is there," Ebbitt said while looking at scorch marks inside a room that spelled out Tal in big letters.  
  
Tal followed his gaze and told Ebbitt about Gref's rescue seven years ago.  
  
"Milla and I had to fight our way to a laundry chute, that was where we met Sushin and he temporarily blinded me," Tal recalled.  
  
"You miss her don't you, boy," Ebbitt asked seriously.  
  
"How did you know?" asked Tal surprised that Ebbitt knew his feelings for Milla.  
  
"I maybe old and senile but I'm not blind!"  
  
"Am I that transparent?" asked Tal, snapping back to his mechanical tone.  
  
"You only mentioned her name 20 times in your story in the white halls." said Ebbitt in a casually.  
  
"Look Tal, I know what's going on between you two but if you miss her go to her and get married, Light knows you want to. Besides it's about time you got yourself a queen." Ebbitt mused.  
  
Tal sighed and despite himself told Ebbitt of the current situation. Ebbitt was silent for a while shaking his head to and fro. Then he snapped his fingers and spoke.  
  
"Leave everything to me boy." he said excitedly.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Tal puzzled.  
  
"I'll get Rerem and Graile to stand in for you while you're away." Ebbitt answered.  
  
"What? How? And where am I going?" asked Tal still confused.  
  
"Goodness, you are as daft as your father, it's a miracle that you became Emperor, think about it boy." Ebbitt said while slapping his forehead.  
  
Ebbitt stood by expectantly. When he saw that Tal shook his head in confusion, Ebbitt told him of his plan. Tal reaction changed from doubt to hope.  
  
"Let me get this straight, Great Uncle, I get you to convince Mother and Father to stand in for me as Light and Dark Viziers, while I help Milla?" Tal said while bending a finger back for each point.  
  
"Exactly, boy, there still is hope for you yet!" Ebbitt exclaimed.  
  
Tal was now energized with hope and found strength to run all the way up to his room but before he could run far he was pulled back with a violet lasso from Ebbitt's sunstone.  
  
"Was there something I forgot uncle?" asked Tal.  
  
"Oh minor things really, for example an alibi, equipment for the ice and a fast way to the violet tower." Ebbitt said while he cleaned out his right ear with his pinky.  
  
"Oh.what do you suggest Ebbitt?" asked Tal.  
  
"Alibi I leave to you to figure out, as for equipment I may have a thing or two to give you."  
  
"What about a fast trip to my room?" asked Tal while considering a few alibis.  
  
"Steam; nothing faster than traveling by steam,"  
  
Tal looked at his great uncle and smiled a rare smile spread across his face.  
  
"Without Ebbitt I would never be able to do anything," thought Tal.  
  
Authors note: It's me again.please please please please review I would like to know what you think of my story so far. 


	11. harsh love with a blunt reason

Chapter 11  
  
"Oh, Milla, what are you doing here?" asked Graile.  
  
"Hello Graile, I just wanted to return your dress," answered Milla.  
  
After a careful meeting with Yukin, Milla arrived at Tal's former house where Tal's mother, father, brother and sister resided.  
  
"Please Milla keep it, besides I have no need for it anymore," Graile said.  
  
Milla put the dress into her pack and thanked Graile by clapping her knuckles. As she did this Kusi came to the door.  
  
"Hello Milla," Kusi said excitedly and hugged Milla.  
  
Puzzled, Milla returned the hug, taking the embrace as a sign of normal Chosen behaviour. After a tight squeeze, Kusi let go and side hugged Graile.  
  
"She is going to be a great sister isn't she?" asked Kusi to Graile.  
  
Graile giggled and hushed Kusi. Milla gave a puzzled look at the two women in the doorway and thought about what they were saying until it dawned on her.  
  
"Oh.Graile, Kusi.Tal and I are.um." stammered Milla clearly at a loss for words.  
  
"It's alright Milla, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I'll give you my blessings to marry Tal, anyway." Graile spoke solemnly.  
  
Milla's face turned a bright pink which clearly showed on her delicate pale skin. Graile decided to let Milla go and said her farewell then made a fuss about silencing Kusi's giggling as she pushed Kusi inside.  
  
Milla left quickly after that hoping that if she got out to the ice quick enough she could cool her flushed face before anyone noticed.  
  
Before Sharrakor's defeat the only way in and out of the castle was via the heat way tunnels in the underfolk levels but now the hall of Greeting and Farewell was open to all and access to the ice was also free to anyone.  
  
The hall, like every other room in the castle, was large. The walls were lined with oil lamps and sunstones which made the hall forever bright. The mysterious golden metal of the walls were reflective and as the light from the sunstones hit them the hall was tinged with a constant golden light which gave the hall a welcoming aura.  
  
There weren't many people in the hall. The only people Milla saw were a few of the former Empresses' guards (now Tal's sworn protectors) and some Shield Maidens that had just arrived from the Ruin Ship to escort Malen back. Malen stepped out from behind the Icecarls and approached Milla.  
  
"Milla I bid you farewell, I must go on ahead." Malen said.  
  
"Maybe I could accompany you?" asked Milla offering to guard her on the trip back. Malen's eyes dimmed and then she spoke hurriedly.  
  
"Milla these Shield Maidens are loyal to us there is no need for you to come with us. It's better if you went after me so as not to create suspicion."  
  
Milla nodded and Malen's eyes brightened then they parted. Milla waited until she knew Malen and the Shield Maidens were out of sight. Milla then started off at a slow pace towards the ice. The condition of the ice was fine by Icecarl standards, which meant light sleet and light winds. Even so the conditions could still change in an instant so Milla took a final deep breath pulled her facemask down and stepped onto the path.  
  
The path outside was lit by oil lamps and sunstones that led only the first hundred or so stretches. As Milla approached the end of the light trail she saw a figure in white waiting for her. Milla looked hard through the sleet and her heart gave a flip as she recognized the figure to be Tal.  
  
When Milla was only a few stretches from Tal he turned and met her half way. Milla noticed he was clad in his Emperor robes of white and he wore a white coat with fur at the hem and cuffs with gloves and a hood. His sunstone was nowhere to be seen. Milla also noticed his pack which was smaller than Milla's but looked as if it contained all the necessary equipment for mountain climbing, skiing and camping. Tal followed her gaze at his pack and spoke.  
  
"Oh this?" said Tal hefting his pack. "Is Ebbitt's old pack he used to bring with him into Aenir," answered Tal.  
  
"What are you doing here Tal? What is the castle going to do without its leader?" asked Milla worriedly.  
  
Tal looked serious then explained Ebbitts' plan.  
  
"I couldn't let you walk out of my life, not again," said Tal lifting up her facemask.  
  
"But you would be in the way, some clans are already angry, seeing you might arouse rash actions, besides it's not your problem." said Milla bluntly pulling her mask back down as if it could block out her emotions for Tal. The mask was half way down when Tal stopped her and started to push it back up.  
  
"The way I see it Milla," said Tal removing the glove of his right hand to reveal the triangular scar, "It is my problem."  
  
Tal then moved to lock Milla's wrist with his but Milla simply batted his wrist away and spoke coldly.  
  
"That oath was taken a long time ago, Tal, it holds no more worth than rancid Selski meat."  
  
Tal hadn't seen this coming and was needless to say a little shocked at Milla's actions. Milla then removed his hand from her wrist and pulled down her mask, hiding her eyes from Tal. 


	12. from dusk till dawn

Chapter 12  
  
Sometime before the inauguration party on the Far Raiders' ice. . .  
  
Screams could be heard on the deck of the Far Raiders ship. A battle was taking place. It had been raging on for hours. The dead or wounded were littering the deck and the ice below, staining the ground beneath them scarlet. Much blood had been spilled.  
  
"Retreat!" yelled Grim Forkbeard his voice booming over the din of the constant clashing of bone weapons.  
  
The reaction he got was immediate. All Icecarls that were defending the ship fell back to the small storage room at the back of the deck, after finishing their individual brawls. Grim stayed on deck near the entrance of the storage room, bravely fending off attacks made on the retreating Icecarls.  
  
Grim wielded his battle axe with great skill. An enemy Icecarl rushed him with his sword holding it low to execute a vicious uppercut. Grim had seen this and decided to feint an attack to counter the move with his axe swinging downwards in an arch. His enemy smiled behind his mask and moved his blade upwards and was about to meet Grim's axe but twitched his sword to the side and was now coming down upon Grim with a downward slash.  
  
Grim had anticipated this and used his momentum to go in towards the Icecarl warrior and buried his axe into his stomach. The enemy let out a surprised gasp and had no time to contemplate what had happened when he was lifted off his feet and thrown across the deck into another enemy Icecarl that was blocking the path of a fellow Far Raider warrior.  
  
The enemy was hurled into his brethren and this caused a chain reaction that stopped a wave of enemy warriors, knocking them down one after the other. This had given the remaining Far Raiders time to retreat and as soon as the last Icecarl was safely below the deck, Grim threw himself behind the door and slammed it shut before a volley of bone arrows buried themselves in the wood where Grim had just been standing.  
  
"Grim barricade the door!" said a voice behind him.  
  
Grim grunted in reply and rolled a nearby barrel in front of the door. The non wounded Icecarls threw themselves at the door barring it as the first attack on the door was made.  
  
After a few more attacks on the door Grim pondered the possibility of giving up the ship. The loyal Icecarls were out numbered and worn out from all the fighting. Escape was certainly possible but they would have to give up the one thing they were protecting, the ship. Grim brooded over the thought of escape and couldn't think of anything that could get more then a quarter of the small force out alive. The enemy Icecarls were many and had probably barred every way off the ship. Shaking his head in defeat he turned to the Crone at the back of the room.  
  
"Can you call for help?" asked Grim.  
  
"I already have, Grim but I fear by the time that it arrives we shall be dead or worse. . ." replied the Crone sadly.  
  
"The only thing we can do is wait here and hope our barricade stays up until help arrives." Grim thought aloud.  
  
The Crone nodded in agreement and started to attend to the wounded. Grim then busied himself looking for more objects to block the door with. The human barricade would not last long especially on this night because it was going to be a long one. 


	13. the enemy within

Chapter 13  
  
"We're almost there, hurry up Tal," said Ebbitt.  
  
"Go without me; get out, save yourselves," replied Tal.  
  
"No come on Tal you can't fight them alone no matter how good you are," said Sathar.  
  
"It'll give you time to escape now go! I'll catch up," Tal said hurriedly.  
  
"Tal please just run with us, there's no shame in that, it's a tactical retreat," Gref pleaded.  
  
"No the beast will take care of this. . ." said Tal stonily rubbing his sunstone.  
  
"Are you insane!?! You can't control it!" Gref shouted.  
  
"Let's go Gref, let him do what he has to do," Ebbitt soothed pulling the boy away.  
  
"No I won't let him!" shouted Gref struggling out of his great uncle's grip and running to Tal.  
  
"He has already started to change! If you don't go he'll kill you too!" Ebbitt yelled running after him.  
  
"GREF GO, NOW," Tal said in an unnatural voice  
  
"You've heard him now get moving, boy!" Ebbitt said pulling Gref away from Tal.  
  
"Look there they are shadow formation Alpha! Sunstones at the ready shoot to kill."  
  
"Ready"  
  
"Tal!"  
  
"Aim"  
  
"Tal!"  
  
"Fir. . .What in Light's nam. . .ARRGGHH!!!"  
  
"TAAALLL!"  
  
"Tal, Tal, Tal wake up!" Milla whispered shaking his shoulders lightly.  
  
Tal continued to toss in his sleep and only pulled out of his dream when Milla slapped him. Tal shot up in a sweat, his eyes wild and frantically surveying the area. Then he saw Milla and with inhuman strength rolled her over in the snow and pinned her down with his knees on her chest. Then he whipped out his metal knife and held it to Milla throat. Tal let out an inhuman roar and pressed the knife further into Milla's neck and drew a small trickle of blood. Droplets of blood trickled down Milla's neck but she didn't flinch.  
  
She just continued to stare at Tal's eyes wondering where the real Tal had gone. After a few moments of paused hostility Tal looked up and started to sniff the air. At this point Milla realized he somehow had turned wild like a berserker in a rage. Milla conceded that Tal was no longer himself and decided to free him from whatever he had turned into by fighting him. Whatever Tal was sniffing distracted him. Tal rose slowly and continued to sniff the air, slackening the pressure of his knife on Milla's throat.  
  
Milla took the opportunity and grabbed the knife and spun to her feet. The beast that was Tal seemed surprised but amused at the same time. It looked at Milla with an intense glare. The bright red eyes bore into Milla with deep hostility. Milla challenged the beasts glare with her own unblinking.  
  
The contenders circled each other. Sizing up one another. Milla kept low with Tal knife in her hand and her Talon slowly unraveling. Tal was doing the same except he was more like an animal sidestepping on his knuckles and the balls of his feet. Tal had no weapon but decided to let a snarl escape his mouth. When doing this Milla noticed that he was slowly changing. His arms were lengthening and his hair was spiking itself up and growing down his neck in a kind of mohawk. The beast was also growing small but distinctly sharp fangs and his nails were getting longer and sharper.  
  
After a minute of circling Milla struck first. Launching her Talon on the beast. The nail remained a crystal and extended towards Tal's exposed neck. Milla at that point had received a wave of déjà vu. Flashes of her memories replayed of the night she had slew Arla the shield mother. The beast having seen her hesitation moved in towards her easily ducking the nail with its inhuman speed. Milla having shaken off the memory realized her mistake. The beast was mere inches away from her stomach and was about to slash her across the chest when the nail came back into the battle and deeply cut the beast over where its ribs should be.  
  
The beast let out a yelp of surprise rather than a yelp of pain. It jumped back and peeled away the fabric that was covering the wound. Milla curiously observed what the creature was doing when she realized that she had scored the first hit. Her victory was short lived when she noticed that the cut was healing itself. Milla stared in shock. How was she to beat a creature that could regenerate? The beast looked at her face and noticed the shock. It stood erect and let out what seemed like a laugh. It then walked over to Milla and blew on her face. Milla having no time to react felt herself getting drowsy her vision blurred and she dropped her knife. The Talon on her finger retracted and her legs gave way. Milla was out cold.  
  
The beast then picked her up with one hand and held her level with his face. It inspected Milla cocking an eyebrow and titling its head to the side when the scent it had smelt before caught his attention once again. The beast dropped Milla and started to sniff the air. A creature was approaching, no five creatures. Their scent told the beast that they would be trouble. The creature then looked down at Milla as if he was deciding whether to leave his new claim or protect it from other predators. 


	14. it's all in your head

Chapter 14  
  
"What are you going to do beast?" A small voice said in the fowl creatures head.  
  
"Save your breath, human, your taunts will not work on me," the beast replied.  
  
"Really I wonder what I have done to you to make you hate me so," Tal pouted.  
  
The beast laughed haughtily and started to climb a tree. Digging its claws into the bark, it climbed with expert ease, moving swiftly but silently so he wouldn't alert the threat that approached him. The beast settled on a branch and waited for the predators to arrive watching its meal sleeping helplessly.  
  
"Nothing, absolutely nothing, Tal of the Chosen," the beast said steely.  
  
"Then why do you hate me so!" Tal raged frustrated "is it because you think I take you for granted?"  
  
"That's part of it," the beast said simply.  
  
"Then tell me so we can be friends," Tal said in full honesty letting his anger subside a little.  
  
"Friendship," the beast growled at the word as if it were a curse.  
  
Tal felt a wave of anger and bitterness rise up from the beast and decided to move further into the back of his mind. Tal squatted in his usual corner worn out. The beast as Tal called it was a gift from the Icearls of long ago. Tal had learnt long ago when he first wielded the violet keystone that something lay dormant inside it. In the seven years apart from Milla he committed two full years to studying the sunstone and its mysteries after reading an interesting book that Ebbitt had found in the hall of nightmares.  
  
The book was about sunstones and mastery of them. Ebbitt had no need to read it as he felt that he had already rose to the peak of mastering his sunstone. So the book fell to Tal and at first Tal read it out of boredom but then as he read further into the book he felt addicted to it until he turned the last page a few months after he received it. The book had told Tal of many things that were plain obvious to the impossible. This was where Tal's problems started. Tal read a chapter on finding a sunstone's true potential and followed the instructions to the dot and found something that he felt, at the time, was the most important find of the century. Tal had stumbled across the beast lying dormant within the keystone he wore. Tal grimaced as he remembered the fateful day he had set free a demon.  
  
It was a horrible day to say the least. Tal in his ignorance played around with his new knowledge of sunstones feeling confident he could take on everything and anything. He had found a room that was large enough to accommodate a duel. Tal was also cocky enough to challenge his father to a duel and felt that with his new knowledge could defeat his father. Tal's father, Rerem, was the best light fighter there ever was and Tal just itched to show him up. So on that day they dueled. Ebbitt of course had heard of the duel and begged to watch it so somehow he ended up being the umpire for the match.  
  
Tal and Rerem fiercely dueled throwing light so well that Ebbitt was impressed, (it was always hard to impress Ebbitt). Tal was beaten of course and in his defeat decided to unleash a devastating attack at his father that would knock him senseless to the ground or so he thought. Rerem knew his son well and reflected the attack easily when Tal launched it at him. The blast was forbidden magic so it had quite an impact on those who didn't know how to defend against it. Rerem had but sadly Tal didn't. Tal was knocked back a few long stretches as the blast was reflected back at him. Tal was knocked unconscious. Rerem and Ebbitt rushed to his side but stopped halfway as the saw Tal rise. The look on Ebbitt and Rerem's faces clearly showed shock as Tal rose and looked at his father with a look of malice and hatred. Tal had grinned and laughed loudly then and he must have sounded like a maniac.  
  
Rerem saw the look on his son's face and knew straight away that it wasn't him. Ebbitt concurred and decided to stand with Rerem to drive the evil from Tal. The result was a very injured Ebbitt and Rerem.  
  
Tal closed his eyes and shoved the thought of his mangled relative's bodies on the floor. Then he heard manic laughter.  
  
"Think of old times are we Tal?" taunted the beast.  
  
"Leave me be." Tal said dismissively then with a cool and sullen voice "you know for a fact that you only have half and hour left before you go back to being dormant again so don't waste your precious freedom by taunting me."  
  
The beast seemed unfazed by Tal's comment and just spoke in the same calm tone as Tal much to his annoyance.  
  
"You're right about that but it has been fun to feel your fear and I also know for a fact that you can't always shut me out, sooner or later you will let your guard down. I am always there ready to pounce on an opportunity. I am there when you sleep I am there when you eat and I am there when you close to someone you love, Tal," the beast said coldly as if to frighten Tal.  
  
"I don't fear you," Tal said defiantly but didn't feel reassured.  
  
"Yes you do and you know it too, you're afraid that I'll hurt the ones you hold dear," the beast said feeling for more of Tal's fear.  
  
"I'll stop you before that ever happens again," Tal said flatly trying to mask his fear.  
  
The beast laughed a cold and haughty laugh. It sent shivers through Tal and he felt a stab of fear in his heart knowing that he couldn't hide from the beast.  
  
"I think actions speak louder than words Tal," the beast said with a hint of mystery.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Tal asked frightened at the fact that the beast was being serious and that was never a good sign.  
  
"I'll start with your beloved here after I claim her as my own from these other poachers of the night." The beast said and laughed coldly.  
  
Then as Tal looked at Milla's defenseless body through the beasts eyes a phrase from the book popped into his head.  
  
"The true potential of a sunstone is determined by the strength of its user. If the user is strong then the potential is strong. It is really a good idea to harness this fact and treasure it because it will be a great gift to you."  
  
"More like a curse," thought Tal. 


	15. honest trickery

Chapter 15  
  
"What do you plan to do to Milla?" Tal asked.  
  
"Eat her of course, I am hungry after my long nap," the beast replied with a snigger.  
  
"You won't lay a finger on her," Tal said defiantly surprising himself with the new found courage.  
  
"Quiet you insolent brat! Save your heroism for when you actually are a hero," the beast said with a snarl knowing that Tal couldn't stop him.  
  
"I may or may not be a hero but if you hurt her I will find a way to kill you that is a promise." Tal said saying the last four words slowly to enhance effect.  
  
"An empty threat young Emperor," mocked the beast.  
  
"Did you know hear me correctly? It was a promise not a threat." Tal said filling his voice with a much rage and authority as he could muster.  
  
The beast laughed then but it wasn't one of its cold and evil laughs, it was a genuine laugh of amusement with the hint of admiration.  
  
"You have courage and it's a noble trait, Emperor," the beast further mocked continuing his laughter.  
  
Just then the predators showed up. Five or six Perwal's advanced on Milla's still body. The beast looked on further and waited until all Perwal's were in plain sight then, when the beast was satisfied that there were no more threats, it jumped from the tree and started its onslaught. As Tal watched the gruesome display of violence from the back of his mind, Tal could not help but feel truth ring in what the beast had previously said.  
  
"What can I do to a thing that is possibly more powerful than Sharrakor himself?" Tal thought to himself then watched the beast dispatch one more of the pack of Perwal's causing them to break formation.  
  
The beast despite the cuts it was receiving fought on coldly like an Icefang. It tore and ripped with its vicious slashes mercilessly. The Perwals didn't even stand a chance. The beast quickly won the brawl and found himself drooling like an animal over his kills and then it let out a large roar signaling his victory. The Perwals were in pieces everywhere. Tal barely stifled a cry of horror as he saw one with its limbs severed and the blood pooling around the still twitching torso.  
  
"That was fun, wasn't it Emperor?" the beast mocked sensing Tal's fear and disgust.  
  
"You really are a beast, no sense of humanity at all," Tal said with a tone of disgust and sympathy for the fallen Perwals.  
  
"Just a taste Emperor, this is only but a taste to what I'll do to you and your close ones." The beast said very coldly.  
  
"Leave them alone they did nothing to you and I did nothing to you so why do you persist on killing them?!" Tal practically yelled finally cracking under the pressure.  
  
"Nothing, you have done nothing, but you're predecessors have and I will reek my havoc on the ones who imprisoned me!!" the beast roared at Tal making Tal shiver with fear.  
  
Then when Tal finally recovered, and mustered up the mysterious courage that kept welling up in him, he spoke to the beast in his calmest voice possible and tried to reach a compromise.  
  
"So my predecessors imprisoned you within this sunstone?" Tal asked trying to get a grip on why the beast was so angry.  
  
"It is pointless to discuss old tidings, especially when you don't understand what had happened, I have made my choice so do not try to sway my decision with your pathetic attempts of trying to understand," the beast said dismissively.  
  
"Well how can I ever set you free if you don't tell me how?" Tal asked getting angry at the beast's constant disrespect and dismissive attitude towards Tal.  
  
Then Tal heard something he had not heard the beast do. The beast was laughing but not coldly or with a condescending tone but with pure disbelief.  
  
"You would set me free?! You truly are ignorant," the beast chuckled.  
  
"Why wouldn't I set you free? You want to be free and you cause more problems than you are worth to me, so it's obvious that it's a mutual agreement that both of us want out," Tal said laying down the things that he and the beast had in common.  
  
"After what you saw you would set me free on the ice or in the palace?" the beast said all laughter gone.  
  
"It depends on a few things but yes I will free you," Tal said honestly.  
  
"What does my freedom depend on?" the beast asked relishing his freedom.  
  
"That you promise not kill or hurt anyone close to me or anyone else," Tal said firmly.  
  
"Is that all? You would have had better luck in trying to get a Dattu to kill a Gorblag," the beast said deflated.  
  
"I think that it is a fair compromise," Tal said still in his most noble of voices.  
  
"You miss one important fact, Emperor," "What is that?" Tal asked more curious than anything else.  
  
"I was born to kill and I will kill anything I want and anything that I like at anytime I want I will not lower myself to your status!" The beast said in a fit of anger.  
  
"Then I guess it means we will never agree on anything because those are my terms," Tal said strangely calm.  
  
"That also means, Emperor that I will be able to devour your beloved and start a world of pain for you!" the beast said and made his way over to Milla and opened his fanged mouth over Milla's exposed neck.  
  
"I don't think so," Tal said piping up and bravely defying the beast.  
  
"Oh and why not?" the beast said cockily.  
  
"Because you have also missed out on one more important fact," Tal said practically ecstatically.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"Our time is up!" Tal said found enough strength to break free of the beast's mental grip on him and let his mind flow over the beast in dominance.  
  
"You tricked me!" the beast accused before it was pulled back into the sunstone.  
  
"No not completely, I really wanted to free you, but you have proven to me that you were rightly put in your place.  
  
With a shriek of anger the beast was sent to lay dormant back inside the sunstone. As the beast settled Tal was conscious again. He looked down and saw Milla underneath him. Tal had his mouth open and drool was escaping his gaping mouth. Tal quickly closed it and tidied himself up as his features went back to the way they were. Soon Tal was his old self again save for his torn clothes. Tal saw how ruined his clothes were and decided to change before Milla woke up.  
  
"I really was genuine in my offer to free you even if you don't believe me," Tal muttered to the stone on his finger. The sunstone vibrated as if in answer and Tal shook his head as he felt a wave of loathing go over him.  
  
"Fine be that way and we never will be friends," Tal said and got changed out of his ventilated clothes. 


	16. explanations

Chapter 16  
  
Milla awoke to the smell of Selski broth. Milla opened her eyes a crack then opened fully when she saw Tal sitting next to the pot of bubbling broth. She moved to get up and was immediately hit by a dizzy spell. She groaned and slumped back onto the sleeping furs. Obviously Tal heard her and came over to help her up.  
  
"Easy now, you've been knocked out for quite some time," Tal soothed as he elevated her neck.  
  
Milla looked up at Tal and saw that he no longer was possessed by anything and he was looking like himself again. She then started to breathe deeply and slowly to get rid of the splitting headache she had. The pain was intense but just bearable. Milla was no stranger to headaches but she knew this one was probably the worst one she would have experienced. Milla concentrated hard on breathing and soon closed her eyes to concentrate. Tal looked on and half expected Milla to ask him what had happened but she didn't to Tal's relief. Explanations could wait, Milla needed time to heal and that, to Tal, was the most important thing to him right now. Milla didn't speak to Tal for quite some time she just continued to breathe slowly and deeply. Tal laid her head down gently and tucked the sleeping furs around her and went to check on the broth.  
  
"What can I do? The poison needs to take its course and I can't heal you because light magic doesn't have any, believe me I've tried," Tal said aloud to Milla not knowing if she had heard him or not.  
  
"Just try and concentrate on your breathing it might help," Tal advised still getting no answer.  
  
Tal stared at the small flickering flame of the oil lamp and was lost in his thoughts. The reason Milla was in her current state was because he couldn't control the beast. Tal had no one else to blame, the thought of losing control of his body made Tal angry. Tal had to find a way to stop it from ever happening again. Tal stayed up all night on watch and from time to time tried to feed Milla the selski broth which proved a more easier task than trying to stay awake. When the morning came Tal felt like he could sleep for days. Milla was feeling better also and she could now stand which surprised Tal. The poison of the beast usually made normal people sick for three days but Milla seemed to have healed herself in just a few hours. Tal stared at the woman in front of him; she was an amazing person no doubt about that. Milla noticed his staring and asked what he was looking at.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Milla asked.  
  
"You are standing. . .Amazing," Tal drawled.  
  
"Yes I am standing and feeling much better, why do you find that odd?" Milla asked.  
  
"I guess you've always been a quick healer," Tal said and smiled.  
  
Milla furrowed her brow confused.  
  
"What is he talking about?" Milla wondered then shouldered her pack and started off.  
  
Tal followed suit and they resumed their journey to the ruin ship. The journey was not quiet as Tal had expected. Milla was very talkative, that was not normal for Milla but then again the events on the trip to the ruin ship were not a normal either. Milla fired off questions that Tal answered reluctantly but eventually Tal told her everything starting from when he found the beast and ending with what happened last night.  
  
"I can't control the beast all the time so he naturally took advantage of the situation," Tal said while he climbed down a cliff face.  
  
"So you didn't unleash it intentionally?" Milla asked in all interest while she climbed down after him.  
  
"No why would I release a killing machine? Think of all the damage it could do," Tal said after reaching the bottom.  
  
Milla joined him second later and they moved off continuing down the steep cliff.  
  
"So you do not know the origin of the beast?" Milla asked.  
  
"No but I have suspicions that the Icecarls from long ago may have put it into this sunstone," Tal said hefting his pack.  
  
"What makes you think that?" Milla asked a little confused at how Tal could think an Icecarl knew how to work light magic.  
  
"Well do you think a Chosen could have made a beast that ferocious?" Tal asked.  
  
"What makes you think that an Icearl knew how to wield light magic back then?" Milla asked voicing her thoughts and getting a little angry at how Tal was suggesting an Icecarl could create such an abomination.  
  
"I never said that," Tal said calmly "I said that Icecarls may have made the beast and Chosen brought it to life, keep in mind that there was an alliance between our people long ago,"  
  
Milla was silent for the first time on their trip. Milla thought of what Tal had said. It did have a certain ring of reason to it. There was an alliance between the two races. That was how Emperor Ramellean received the talon of Danir, it was a sign of good faith. Milla pondered these types of thoughts and wondered what type of relationship her ancestor Danir and the Chosen Emperor had when Tal stopped and seemed dazed at something.  
  
"What?" Milla asked and backtracked to his side.  
  
Milla looked at what Tal was looking at and saw a sight for saw eyes.  
  
"Wonderful, I never noticed it until now. . .The Ruin Ship is truly a magnificent sight. . ." Tal drawled in awe.  
  
Milla looked on and seemed lost in similar thoughts while she looked at the lichen encrusted ship hull. The ship looked like a beacon of beauty on the dark ice. Milla shook herself from her dazed state.  
  
"Let's go Tal, the ship isn't far and it looks better on the inside," Milla said and took the lead. 


	17. Healer Tal

Chapter 17  
  
Before long Tal and Milla had reached the entrance to the ruin ship. After consulting with the shield maidens on guard, Milla was led inside while Tal waited patiently outside in the care of the shield maidens.  
  
"Can't expect them to accept me with open arms even though I am emperor." thought Tal as he paced to keep warm.  
  
Tal became bored of waiting and decided to pass the time with some conversation. He smiled warmly at the nearest shield maiden and introduced himself.  
  
"Hello I'm Tal," he said cheerfully.  
  
The shield maiden nodded in reply and resumed her icy cold stare into nothingness. Tal expected as much so he wasn't offended so he continued with the soul purpose of trying to get the guard to talk.  
  
"So."Tal drawled trying to think of something to talk about that would appeal to the Icecarls "Have you been on guard duty long?" Tal asked stupidly.  
  
The Icecarl merely grunted in reply and Tal gave up hope on trying to get the women to talk. Then he heard something, it was a rare sound to be heard on the ice. It was giggling. Tal looked around for the source and found that the other shield maiden on duty was trying hard not to laugh. Tal saw this and walked over to the girl and found as new target. A she approached the girl stopped giggling and stood stock still.  
  
"I couldn't help but notice that giggling, care to share?" Tal asked in a friendly manner.  
  
"I wasn't laughing," the girl said quickly.  
  
"It is a rare sound to be heard on the ice," Tal pressed.  
  
"Yes it is and Breg would do better than to lose composure during her duty," the other guard said silencing the girl before she could say another word.  
  
Breg was silent again and pouted a little before snapping back to composure when Tal looked at her.  
  
Tal shrugged and stopped his little activity knowing that he wouldn't get any further. He started to pace again and was starting to wonder where Milla had gone when a girl came out from behind the curtain made of hide. The girl whispered something in the stern guard's ear and popped back inside.  
  
"Come with me," she said and moved to put a blind fold over Tal.  
  
"Here we go again," Tal muttered as the shield maiden lead him through the curtain.  
  
Tal was lead down steps that Tal remembered from his last visit to the Ruin Ship. Then he was spun around until he was dizzy. Tal lost all sense of direction then and gave trying to locate where he was. Tal knew he was safe here and that was all that mattered. After a few minutes of turning corners Tal was finally put onto a bench and had his blind fold removed. When it was removed his eyes immediately fluttered as they adjusted to the light. When he finally stopped seeing stars his attention fell to the people in front of him. They lying in stretchers and seemed to be resting. As Tal looked closer he noticed that they had bandages and were wearing bloodied furs. Tal looked around the place instinctively looking an exit but all he saw were the bodies on the stretchers. Tal then thought wondering why he was lead to this place. The Icecarls always acted with purpose so he would have been put here for a reason. Tal looked around once again and thought hard but he couldn't see the reason for why he was here. Tal started to pace again and waited for someone to fetch him. When no one came he moved to the curtain to leave but as he tried to find an opening he was pushed back roughly. Then as Tal steadied himself he saw two Icecarls rush through the curtain with a wounded person on a stretcher. The two runners placed the stretcher on the ground next to the others who were resting and ran back out after clapping their knuckles at Tal. Tal tilted his head to the side as he tried to wrap his brain around what had just happened when he heard a groan from the newcomer. Instinctively Tal moved towards the person and got down on one knee to look at the wounded warrior.  
  
"Please help me." said the warrior weakly and fainted.  
  
Tal took action immediately and removed the furs the Icearl was wearing to get a better view on what the problem was. As he removed the Icecarls' jacket he saw a nasty gash across his chest. Tal looked at the gash blankly for a second and wondered what he was doing when he heard feet pattering on the floor. Tal turned to see another stretcher placed down next to him with a groaning shield maiden who was trying to remove a bone knife from her shoulder. The two runners who had placed her there rushed off and were out of sight in a matter of seconds. Tal looked at the woman who was still trying to get the knife out of her shoulder vainly. Tal shook his head as if to clear it and immediately started to help no longer concerned why he was in the room. He quickly summoned the blue light of soothing and casted it over the two bodies. As the ray hit them they stopped their groaning and stilled. Tal then moved to heal the first man's wound with a yellow ray of re-growth and quickly moved to the second arrival. The shield maiden was conscious but stopped all attempts to remove the knife knowing she was doing more damage to herself.  
  
"Hold still and I'll get it out," Tal said holding the woman's body upright.  
  
"On three," Tal said "One.Two.Three!"  
  
On three Tal yanked the knife out and heard a cry of pain from the Icecarl. Tal immediately casted a ray of blue soothing and a yellow ray of re-growth in quick succession. Then he laid the woman down gently.  
  
"Do you have anymore wounds that need to be treated?" Tal asked.  
  
"No," the woman said weakly and started to breathe a Rovkir pattern of calm.  
  
Tal nodded and moved away from her to let her rest. As he wiped his brow the runners came back in with another stretcher followed by a Crone.  
  
"Set her over there," the Crone ordered taking out equipment from pouch that she carried.  
  
The runners replied quickly and left just as fast. Tal moved over to the Crone and was about to ask the Crone if she needed any help when the runners came back with yet another wounded. They set the body down next to the woman Tal had just healed and moved off again. The Crone spun to look at the new arrival and was surprised to see Tal standing there.  
  
"What are you doing here?" the Crone asked moving towards the new patient.  
  
"I was going to ask you that but then decided to ask questions later, do you need any help with these patients?" Tal asked calmly.  
  
"You look like a Chosen so you must know healing light magic, do you know how to staunch wounds?" the Crone asked removing a jar of ointment from her pouch.  
  
"Yes I do," Tal said quickly looking over to the Crone's first patient.  
  
"Good staunch the wounds of that girl over there and I'll try my best to fill you in on the situation," the Crone said applying bandages to the man in front of her.  
  
Tal nodded and observed the girl on the stretcher. She was cut in various places and breathed labored breathes. She was conscious so Tal asked her where she felt the most pain.  
  
"My right leg," she replied through gritted teeth.  
  
Tal looked at the leg and saw bone; he hoped it was a weapon of some sort that was sticking out and not the girl's bone. Tal tore the leggings apart and sighed as he saw that the bone was indeed the girl's. Tal breathed deeply and applied a blue ray of soothing and hoped that it was strong enough to act as an anesthetic. Tal saw clearly that the bone was broken and thanked the light that it was a clean break. All he had to do was connect the two bones back together and apply a yellow ray of re-growth then seal up the wounds with more yellow rays and blue rays. Tal breathed deep and after counting to three silently he took hold of the protruding bone and the girl's leg. He then yanked them apart for a second and put them together. Tal quickly fused the bone together with a yellow ray and sealed all the severed nerves and veins with more yellow rays and finally applied more blue rays to stop any pain. After he was done he wiped his brow and stepped back to heal her other cuts on her body. Cut healing was easy enough for Tal. All he had to do was run yellow lines over the cuts and they would seal themselves in a few hours or so.  
  
When Tal was done he noticed that the Crone had been talking all the time he was healing.  
  
".So we are here until we have healed the survivors. According to the runners we have twenty warriors left outside awaiting treatment,"  
  
That was all Tal heard but he got the gist, he was here until everything was settled. It all seemed obvious to Tal now. Milla must have put him here to make him seem useful enough to stay.  
  
"Being emperor means nothing on the ice," Tal thought and shrugged.  
  
The Crone, after bandaging the patient she was treating, walked over to Tal's patient expecting to heal her but when she saw Tal's handiwork she shrugged and moved off to find another patient. Tal smiled and felt good to be back on the ice. He felt somewhat superior here than in the castle. His state of euphoria was short lived as the runners came in with another patient.  
  
"Milla I hope I see you again," Tal thought as he moved off to help the Crone. 


	18. Plans and peace

Chapter 18  
  
While Tal was dealing with the sick and injured Milla was dealing with the war issue, which was proving more challenging than Milla had expected. Malen was falsely informed when she was told that the Far Raiders were the source of unrest on the ice. It was actually another clan to which no one knew too much about, the Ice Hunters. Milla was in the reckoning room with the uncanny map on the floor which harbored little ship replica's on it, moving slowly following the selski tide.  
  
"The ships move in a tight circle staying away from the troublesome clan. We have called a meeting of Crones and most ships have answered the call, although they may not be staying long I believe that we can come to a solution in the short time," said the resident Mother Crone to Milla.  
  
Milla nodded in answer but was paying attention to the board with more interest and was feeling uneasy about the tight circling of the ships. The various clans were pressing the boarders of the ice. Sooner or later the various clans would slowly intrude on some other clan's ice and there was sure to be a conflict that wouldn't be resolved before a territorial fight breaking out first. Milla sighed; the days of peace were getting rough again.  
  
"Does something ail you war chief?" the Mother Crone asked noting the frown on Milla's brow.  
  
"No." Milla said avoiding the question "Can you tell me what you know of the Ice Hunters?" Milla asked slowly drawing her eyes away from the board to look at the Mother Crone.  
  
"We only know that they a large force of rouge Icecarls outcasts," The Crone Mother said trying to give information that would help the war chief.  
  
"That must explain why the other clans are afraid to fight back but are there that many rouge out there to create such a force that other clans dare not challenge them?" Milla asked playing out the scenes in her mind of the encounters with the Ice Hunters in the past.  
  
"All we know is that they have driven all who opposed them," The Mother Crone said frowning making her milky white eyes look smaller than they already were.  
  
"They were always territorial; remember how they fought my company when we tried to create new boundaries when the ice melted?" Milla said thinking back to her last encounter with the enemy.  
  
"Yes.As I recall your company fought their hardest just to fend off the attackers," The Crone said smiling at Milla.  
  
"We tried to defend we did not want to create a bigger conflict. We would have lost for sure," Milla said with a neutral face masking her anger of being defeated.  
  
"Still I believe we have missed something, don't you think so war chief?" The Crone said getting back to the topic at hand.  
  
"Yes. I believe that there has something we have missed," Milla said moving her eyes back to the board.  
  
"Tell me what you think," The Mother Crone said softly but Milla caught the hint of authority in her voice, the voice which carried the prayer which in turn bound Milla.  
  
Milla sighed aloud showing her disapproval for the need of the prayer. Milla dared not act any further than that. It was rude to show such emotions towards a Crone especially towards a Mother Crone. Milla had risen to the rank which was equal to a Crone but that didn't mean she could do anything she wanted. The Crone Mother noted the sigh and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to show Milla that she understood.  
  
"I believe that the Ice Hunters have another motive," Milla continued calmly.  
  
"What motive?" the Mother Crone asked interested.  
  
"We have always assumed that the Ice Hunters may have some qualm with the Chosen but is that true? We have never asked them and with all due respect I believe that most Crones have feared the Crone of the Ice Hunters," Milla replied bluntly, she wasn't one to sugar coat things.  
  
The Mother Crone clearly didn't like how frank Milla had been but she couldn't have been more right about the Crones. When the Mother Crone didn't say anything, Milla slapped herself mentally for being too blunt.  
  
"Respect those older than you," Milla recited in her mind, it was one of the oldest rules a shield maiden had to learn.  
  
"Crone Mother, I'm sorry if I have offended you and any other Crones," Milla apologised quickly.  
  
The ancient woman didn't respond immediately, which meant she was in the hoard of collective minds.  
  
"Probably trying to settle some of the Crones I just insulted," Milla thought slapping herself mentally again.  
  
When the Crone Mother finally spoke she spoke with authority and gentleness.  
  
"Watch what you say war chief. You forget yourself,"  
  
Milla bowed apologetically. The Crone Mother connected once again to the hoard of minds and nodded slightly and disconnected after a few more moments. Then she spoke with the same tone she spoke with before but a smile stretched itself from each side of her face creating wrinkles to form.  
  
"They are indeed afraid but you must be careful about what you say in future it may not be so easily forgiven next time," the woman said gently.  
  
Milla bowed once again in respect and thanks. If the Crone hadn't taken a liking to her, she doubted she would have been let off so easily.  
  
"Now, go and fetch the Emperor, I believe that his work is done for today and I believe he would like to know many things. You may retire after you have informed him of the tidings." The Mother Crone ordered.  
  
Milla clapped her knuckles together and left the room thanking Danir that she didn't get into trouble. Milla wandered down the familiar hall and reminisced about the first time she had been here with Tal. Milla recalled being so giddy about being here even tough she was blind folded. Now all she saw was another hall in a ship. Maybe more better looking but still it was just another hall. Milla turned a corner and walked past a few cadets who immediately noticed her. They stopped to clap their knuckles but their surprise and awestruck look betrayed them when they tried to look their most serious. Milla clapped her knuckles in returned and continued on leaving the girls in a state of awe but something compelled Milla to listen to the girls in secret so she slid back behind the corner and stood still and out of sight.  
  
"Wow we met Milla Talon Hand in person," said one of the girls.  
  
"Breg please you're acting like a child," said the other girl who Milla knew as Kira.  
  
"Oh stop acting like you're not as excited as I am you just met a living legend!" Breg continued.  
  
"A shield maiden does not show her feelings to anyone," Kira replied stoically.  
  
"Oh please for once act your age and be happy for once," Breg said brushing off the rule."  
  
"You will never be a shield maiden if you keep acting like that," Kira said shaking her head in distain.  
  
"One day I'll be the best shield maiden there ever was and I'll do it without being an ice cold warrior who keeps abiding by every rule," Breg retorted  
  
Kira shook her head and continued her onslaught of doubt.  
  
"You wouldn't last long against anything if you portray your emotions as you are now," Kira said just as stoically as before.  
  
"Oh bleh!" Breg retorted poking her tongue out playfully.  
  
Kira just shook her head and smiled. Milla was pained to see such a display of warm heartedness that emanated from such a girl as Kira. On the outside, Kira looked like a perfect warrior but deep down Milla knew she was just as giddy as Breg. Milla had heard enough. She left the two girls to talk.  
  
"Such passion for an Icecarl on the ice, a rare sight indeed," Milla thought happily.  
  
The Ice was renowned for drowning such spirits. And it was never a place where a person like Breg could survive and yet here she was already a novice shield maiden. Milla was happy for Breg but agreed with Kira, the ice was no place for portraying emotions. Milla walked down another hall and came to a doorway which was covered by a thick selski hide and a patchwork of furs. Outside in the hallway she saw two shield maidens wiping their brow and sitting against a wall with a stretcher between them. As they saw Milla they stood immediately and clasped their knuckles in respect.  
  
"War chief," they greeted formally.  
  
Milla nodded and clasped her knuckles in return and walked into the patchwork doorway. As she entered she noticed a yellow and blue glow that tainted to dreary room. The room was filled with injured Icearls and amongst them all Tal was the only one who stood out. He was leaning against a wall with his eyes closed in fatigue and he looked very scruffy. His hair was in his unruly state but was untidy. His brow was sweat soaked and his collar was loose revealing his chest and a small glowing chain. Milla strode over to him and sat next to him silently. Tal heard it and wearily opened his eyes to see Milla sitting next to him and looking out over the crowd.  
  
"Nice of you to come fetch me," Tal said tiredly but with a hint of relief.  
  
"We will go to our quarter now and discuss further matters," Milla said looking at Tal.  
  
His eyes were filled with fatigue and Milla was happy to see it there because it was the same looked that Milla wore for many years ever since she became war chief and the living sword of Asteyr. The fatigue was proof that he tried his best to set things right. Milla was also happy to know that she could really connect with Tal not only because he knew what she was going through but also because Tal knew Milla as much as she knew him. The moment of real peace fell between the silent couple with Milla smiling genuinely and Tal looking confused but at peace. 


	19. Breg and Kira

Chapter 19  
  
Kira was at the end of her patience. Breg's exuberance could be both uplifting and annoying at the same time. Breg argued with Kira for most of that day and it was a very long day indeed. They had guard duty for a few hours that seemed like an eternity on the ice. Breg had started to converse with Kira endlessly about trivial matters that didn't interest Kira in the slightest. Then when Kira was at breaking point she saw two figures come out of the snow. It was Milla Talon hand herself and Emperor Tal of the Chosen. Kira couldn't believe her luck. After exchanging a few passwords with Milla, Kira was left to guard Tal although she knew he didn't need it. Tal then started to talk to Kira which was an unnerving thing because she didn't know how to treat him. Obviously with respect but he was not of the ice and he was a stranger to the Ruin Ship as far as Kira knew so she just kept her distance and only replied in grunts and nods, portraying no emotions. Breg on the other hand couldn't stop her giggles at Kira's confusion and only annoyed her further. After a few minutes of waiting Tal was invited inside.  
  
When they were relived of their post it was straight into training with the other shield maidens. They went on a hunt for an old selski, which to Kira was boring because she was always on look out with Breg. Kira and Breg were on watch once again for another few hours until the rest of the other shield maidens and the other shield maiden trainees returned.  
  
The hunt was apparently fruitful just as Kira predicted. She saw the bags of selski meat that the others were carrying and was told to by her senior to help with the other bags. Kira shouldered two bags easily and started off towards the group with out any complaints. Breg on the other hand could keep her mouth shut, this resulted in punishment.  
  
"Hey why do we get stuck with all the boring jobs, Kira? I only wanted to go on the hunt and I was denied again," Breg complained a little louder than she had meant.  
  
Kira shot her a glance to silence her but it was too late. The head shield maiden had over heard and made the two take back all of the selski meat.  
  
"You like work? Good, then I suppose you wouldn't mind taking all the bags back to the Ruin Ship," The head shield maiden said looking at both of the two girls who were lingering.  
  
Kira nodded dejectedly but didn't object, she knew it would only further their punishment. Breg on the other hand couldn't keep quiet.  
  
"But we have been on guard duty for over a month now and we would like to go on the hunt," Breg said a little indignantly.  
  
"You want to hunt? Then I will assign you to glow jelly fishing for a month," the shield maiden said.  
  
Kira knew that this was unfair and had to say something even when she knew it bring her more punishment.  
  
"Salama we have been on guard duty for a long time but glow jelly fishing for a month is not fair," Kira said stoically as Breg brightened.  
  
"You will help her then, you two will fish for glow jellies for a month and not do anything else," Salama ordered and moved off to join the others.  
  
"So you do care," Breg said teasingly.  
  
"I only wanted to help you and I get stuck with more punishment," Kira groaned and lifted another bag under her arm.  
  
Hours later Kira and Breg carried the last bags into the store room on the Ruin Ship and were handed glow jelly rods by Salama.  
  
"Go fish for twenty each and come back, you will both do this everyday for a month. When you have completed average work the other cadets do," Salama instructed.  
  
Breg frown but didn't say anything to Kira's relief and they moved off to fish for the main source of light the Ruin Ship used. Kira and Breg went up to the frozen lakes where they met other sea urchin fishermen and women. They were herding barrels full of seaweed and urchins on to the wreska carriages. Breg and Kira looked for the closest thin ice pool they could find and started their little activity. They were in the cold snow for hours when they finally caught their first glow jelly. Breg was practically ecstatic jumping up and down as she tossed the jelly into the bucket.  
  
"One down nineteen left to go," Kira said dully.  
  
"Cheer up Kira we're having fun," Breg said and smashed another hole into the ice to start again.  
  
Another four hours and Breg had caught a large glow jelly and a heap of others. When she had caught at least eighteen Kira started to get nibbles. Kira had hoped she would get a large one but it was only a very small one but it shined bright enough. Kira tossed it onto her bucket and was surprised to see Breg all done.  
  
"I'll help you," Breg said and crouched next to Kira still smiling broadly and humming a tune.  
  
Kira didn't mind the closeness. It was freezing at the lakes and she needed all the warmth she could get. The song Breg was humming was also soothing and it helped to get Kira's morale up. Just as Kira started to hum along with Breg, her rod twitched and jerked.  
  
"Quick pull it up," Breg urged.  
  
Kira nodded and hefted hard. Kira was expecting only a small jelly to appear so when a whole string of small jellies came up Kira was taken aback and almost dropped her rod. Breg helped to steady her rod and help her pull. The count was at least ten small brightly shining jellies. Things were looking up.  
  
An hour later of humming and fishing they caught at least fifty of the jellies and they gratefully headed back. Everyone at the lakes were gone and safely warm in the ship probably sleeping so when they returned they to the back entrance they were surprised to see Salama awake and waiting. Salama took one look at the buckets and ordered them to eat and sleep. They didn't say a word instead they clapped their knuckles and moved off. It was hard to clap knuckles with a bucket of glow jellies. Kira did it well enough but Breg was already slipping and sliding of the ice before her hands could meet. The large bulbous glow jelly she caught had managed to make its way out and before Kira could stop her, Breg was trying to salute and catch the escaping jelly. The result was an embarrassing show for their senior trainer.  
  
"Clumsy girl," Salama muttered before going inside.  
  
Breg and Kira were on their way to eat when they once again met Milla and they could hardly contain their awe and giddiness when she looked their way. They clapped knuckles immediately and watched as she gracefully walked around the corner.  
  
"Wow we met Milla Talon Hand in person," said one of the girls.  
  
"Breg please you're acting like a child," said the other girl who Milla knew as Kira.  
  
"Oh stop acting like you're not as excited as I am you just met a living legend!" Breg continued.  
  
"A shield maiden does not show her feelings to anyone," Kira replied stoically.  
  
"Oh please for once act your age and be happy for once," Breg said brushing off the rule."  
  
"You will never be a shield maiden if you keep acting like that," Kira said shaking her head in distain.  
  
"One day I'll be the best shield maiden there ever was and I'll do it without being an ice cold warrior who keeps abiding by every rule," Breg retorted  
  
Kira shook her head and continued her onslaught of doubt.  
  
"You wouldn't last long against anything if you portray your emotions as you are now," Kira said just as stoically as before.  
  
"Oh bleh!" Breg retorted poking her tongue out playfully.  
  
Kira was about to punch her playfully when Salama came out from the feasting hall and ordered the two to hurry up. After the meal of selski meat it was back to the sleeping quarters. Breg always laid next to Kira for warmth and Kira never minded. Breg fell straight to sleep in her furs while Kira remained awake.  
  
"Today wasn't so bad. I got to meet two living legends," Kira thought they she looked at Breg and smiled.  
  
"She does nothing but get me into trouble and annoy me but she always gets me out somehow and she isn't a pest when she helps," Kira contemplated before falling into sleep and the counting pattern. 


	20. Escape pt 1

Chapter 20  
  
The Far Raider's Crone sat in the sled patiently. While she sat in the sled she nursed the cut on her left arm. As she bandaged it someone approached her. It was Grim Fork beard.  
  
"What news of survivors?" the Crone asked.  
  
"Not many, only thirty of our original host have been rescued, the rest were either slain or too injured to go any further so they gave themselves to the ice," Grim reported.  
  
The Crone sighed. Thirty souls were rescued and they had originally started with a whole ship of eighty or more. The Crone thought back to the initial battle. It was a slaughter. Although the defenses were prepared as the look out announced another ships approach, the Ice Hunters forces overwhelmed them and made the Far Raiders prisoners of their own ship.  
  
"What do we do now, Crone?" Grim asked interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Have the Ice Hunters stopped pursuing us yet?" asked the Crone.  
  
"Yes but we have not any provisions to last us," Grim said glumly.  
  
"Then we will hunt but first we must make camp somewhere, they are sure to find us in the open," the Crone said after a moments thought.  
  
Grim nodded and moved off to give the orders. As Grim left she went back to her wound and reminisced back to the escape.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The doors were rammed on once again but after a few more tries they stopped. The door would be rammed every hour and on every hour Grim and the survivors would be found barring the doors with barrels and bodies if necessary.  
  
The Crone was attending the wounded when the last ram was made on the door. She looked up at the people who had gathered to help bar the door. There were three in total. One of them was leaning against a door. His beard and hair were mattered and sweat was dripping from his forehead. The forked beard and the light cyan markings on his face was a dead give away to who it was. It was Grim Fork Beard. He wiped his brow and tapped the other two of his companions to rest up.  
  
"Rest up you two and save your strength for the next barrage," Grim ordered.  
  
The two men nodded and went to sit at there post near the door. The Crone's ethereal eyes met Grim's and they moved off to a private corner.  
  
"Have you a plan?" Grim asked tiredly.  
  
"I've tried to communicate the hoard," the Crone said.  
  
"What have you learned?" Grim asked quickly with a hint of hope in his voice.  
  
"The Ruin Ship has called as many Hunters, Thanes and as many Maidens as they can spare. They are still trying to get to us. The negotiations with the Selski Runners are almost over, they should be hear within four hours,"  
  
"We may not have four hours on or side, I propose that we think of a way to escape on our own," Grim said as if that was his plan all along.  
  
"I agree but I have failed to come up with a plan that doesn't include our host dwindling to the size of a Durg bird's brain," the Crone said bowing her head in thought.  
  
"May I suggest my plan then?" Grim asked taking out his axe.  
  
The Crone looked at his axe and knew what he was going to suggest but decided to grant his request.  
  
"I propose that we attack head on," Grim said proudly.  
  
The Crone just continued to look blankly at Grim. Obviously he had wanted that in the beginning but the Crone saw too many casualties. Her thoughts of defending instead of attacking had cost her half her crew. Grim waited patiently as he looked for signs of his idea registering in her mind.  
  
"Do you honestly believe that it will work?" The Crone questioned.  
  
"It is better than staying here waiting to be caught," he answered.  
  
The Crone propped a hand under her chin in thought and closed her eyes and became still. Grim waited for a patiently thinking of other plans in case the main one failed and after moments silence the Crone opened her eyes and gave the go ahead.  
  
"I will permit this although I have my doubts that this plan will not benefit us. I have spoken to the other Crones and the Ruin Ship has sent a host to aid us at the base of the mountain of light," the Crone instructed.  
  
Grim remained silent but clapped his knuckles together in salute and moved off to prepare the troops. Then before Grim had moved to far away the Crone called out to him.  
  
"Grim it will not do to arrive at the rendezvous point with three quarters of our host gone. I trust you will not act rashly," the Crone said before helping the injured into position.  
  
Grim had his back to the Crone but he heard every word and resumed his original duty with shadow of doubt forming in his mind that was growing every time he re thought his plan.  
  
"Is it possible that I might fail?" he thought feeling insecure about the responsibility he had put on himself.  
  
He looked around the room and saw a host of about 50 strong warriors at his disposal. As he looked around his eyes fell on the assets and burdens of the host. The injured would be a burden and they would have to be protected during their escape. The Crone would have to be protected at all cost too and would probably be the first one off the ship. After sketching a few plans together he formulated his master plan. The master plan should work effectively if all his assumptions were correct. The master plan was to attack head on and moved from the store room to the wreska supply sleds down below, which had doubled in number as the Ice hunters arrived and settled in.  
  
"There shouldn't be a problem with transport as they hold up to ten people. We will need five though and they are sure to be guarded," he thought thinking ahead.  
  
"Grim are you ready to tell us of the plan?" the Crone asked gathering a crowd.  
  
Grim cleared his throat and spoke of the master plan to the host gathered.  
  
"We will make our way to the wreska sleds and ride hard towards the mountain of light. It should only take us an hours worth of hard riding to get there. The injured need to be taken care of so I will appoint a team to escort them quickly to the sleds as a host lead by me will clear a path. The Crone will also need a few body guards and will need to go first to the rendezvous point," Grim announced.  
  
There was a small mutter of conversation and as soon as it settled he continued.  
  
"I want three of the most skillful warriors here to go with the Crone. They will need to be the swiftest and stealthiest because not only will they need to escort the Crone to safety they will also need to take out the wreska guards below without raising an alarm. Who will volunteer?" Grim asked.  
  
After a moments silence three people slowly stood up.  
  
"I will go," said a fierce looking shield maiden moving to the Crone's side.  
  
"I will also go," said a burly looking sword thane moving to join the Crone.  
  
"And I will also answer the call," said a young boy no older than 14 circlings.  
  
Grim watched him walk to the Crone's side and almost laughed but held bit his tongue. The gathered crowd had much the same reaction with only a few people laughing. The boy looked steadily at the crowd he didn't show a bit of emotion. Grim looked at the assembled team and couldn't help but question the boy.  
  
"You are too young to be much of fighter. Do you know what you are getting yourself into lad?" Grim asked patronizingly.  
  
"I have offered my help and have made up my mind. I only wait for the Crone's decision to accept my help or not, I dare not go against her decision," the boy said bravely looking at the Crone with his expressionless face.  
  
"What is your name boy?" asked the Crone.  
  
"Corin," he answered shortly.  
  
The Crone smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Corin I accept your help," she said so that all could hear.  
  
Grim shrugged and allocated the teams. When everything was set he gathered everyone to give his inspiration speech.  
  
"This is our last chance. Concentrate on what you are assigned to do and if you do give your life then give it to them dearly," Grim said gathering momentum as he spoke.  
  
Everyone cheered and got into position quickly as planned. The three bodyguards moved to the door and formed a circle around the Crone. Just then Grim moved over to the small group and gave a few last words.  
  
"Send up a flare when you are at the rendezvous point," Grim said giving the Crone a small package.  
  
She nodded and placed the package carefully in her long sleeves. Then Grim faced the small troupe.  
  
"Guard her well," he said to the two adults then he looked at Corin and smiled "And you don't get killed before proving your worth," Grim chuckled then ruffling the boys hair before leaving.  
  
"Hey runt; don't get hurt out there," the burly sword thane said patting the boy on the shoulder and laughing.  
  
Corin frowned at the comment but remained silent and unsheathed his bone sais and twirled them idly trying to show his level of skill. The shield maiden followed suit and unsheathed her sword silently but was looking at the boy with a patronizing look. Corin sighed and looked to the Crone as if asking if they could go yet. The Crone noted the look and made eye contact with Grim. He nodded after surveying the host and the Crone nodded at Corin. Corin smiled and pushed the door wide open and took the lead immediately.  
  
"What are yo." the sword thane started as he saw the boy's bravado.  
  
The Crone held a hand up to the sword thane and silenced him.  
  
"If he wants to prove himself then let him do it," she said moving after him. 


	21. Escape pt 2

Chapter 21  
  
The burly man shrugged in unison with the shield maiden and followed quickly behinds the crone. There was a fine sleet brewing that limited visibility. The Crone looked at the crows nest above and saw the Icecarl upon it straining to see the moving figures below. The Crone faced the sword thane in her company and brought her hand up to her neck and made a horizontal slicing motion. The Thane complied and sheathed his sword. He undid his bow from his back and readied an arrow. He took careful aim and fired. The Crones expert eyes saw the arrow hit the target squarely through the throat. The warrior wouldn't be alerting anyone any time soon.  
  
Corin walked quietly in the lead. So far the enemy hadn't noticed a small band of warriors silently making their way towards the wreska sleds and Corin wanted to keep it that way but as soon as he became hopeful that the plan would work he encountered two large warriors in front of him. They hadn't seen him yet so Corin pressed him luck and attacked head on. He silenced the first guard by smashing his jugular and as the man fell clutching his throat unable to speak, Corin used his falling body as a spring board to launch himself at the other unsuspecting man.  
  
Unfortunately Corin was too slow and the Icearl back away quickly getting out of range of the impending kick to his jugular. Corin cursed himself and immediately unsheathed his sais and twirled them expertly in challenge to the enemy. The Icecarl simply laughed as he saw who his opponent was. Clearly this child could not hope to win against him? The huge enemy approached Corin and aimed a fast punch straight at the boy's head. Corin dodged, in stepped his opponent and buried a sai into the large Icecarl. He fell immediately clutching his stomach. Corin smiled as he saw his enemy fall. Wraith, Rallen and the Crone were silently watching at the side and they all smiled at Corin as he turned to face them. Corin frowned and turned to leave. He never heard them approach and berated himself. He was trained better than that.  
  
As soon as they reached the other end of the ship and descended the ladder without too much hassle they proceeded to take on the ground guards by the sled. Corin and the burly thane known as Rallen moved off swiftly and silently as snakes through long grass. The shield maiden known as Wraith stayed back to protect the Crone.  
  
"Watch and learn lad," Rallen said moving behind a guard silently.  
  
Corin held back and watched as the Thane pounced on the guard and knocked him out cold with a quick swipe to the back of the head. Corin rolled his eyes and moved over to his target. Corin moved with a liquid ease and knocked his target out just as easily and gracefully as Rallen. Rallen nodded in admiration. Clearly the boy was trained. Wraith and the crone had already moved to take a sled big enough to make the trip. As Corin and Rallen boarded the sled Corin heard a noise and looked back at the ship just in time to see an arrow screaming towards the Crone. There was no time to bat it away so he pushed the Crone out of harm's way. Corin heard a yelp of pain and surprise escape the Crone's lips and cursed himself once again for being to slow. Wraith wasted no time and geared up the wreska and moved out. The start was too slow. The yelp had alerted further attention to the escapees and Corin saw arrows being fitted to bows on the deck of the ship. They would surely die if they didn't move now! Wraith, sensing Corin's panic whipped the reigns harder and tried to spur the wreska on. Her efforts worked but they were still moving too slow to be out of range of the arrows. Corin let out a cry of frustration and steeled himself to die as he turned to face the arrows.  
  
Rallen was busy fitting his own bow with three arrows but shared the same feelings Corin was feeling. Then as they were finally speeding away the arrows from the ships loosed and sped quickly to their targets. Corin stood in front of the Crone and focused his all his senses on the incoming arrows and as if they were moving in slow motion he saw each of them. The first one was moving towards Wraith. Corin saw it and moved to catch it. Corin closed his fingers quickly and caught it just in time.  
  
Corin's senses and reflexes moved very quickly then. He blocked out the outside noise and focused on the arrows as if they were the only thing that mattered in his world. Corin caught a speeding arrow that was aimed at him and spun in a circle, arm outstretched, to catch three arrows at once. He held the arrows in one hand and caught the other with hi other hand. Soon he had at least seven arrows in his hand before they stopped shooting. Corin stood silently trying to refocus on the world around him again. The first sound to hit his ears was the crack of the reigns on the wreska. Then he slowly became aware of laughter.  
  
"Who's laughing at me?" Corin thought and turned to see Rallen laughing merrily and the Crone smiling.  
  
Corin titled his head in demand for explanation. The Crone seeing his expression stood and steadied herself and looked into Corin's eyes with her silvery gaze.  
  
"Well done, Corin, you have proven yourself very well," the Crone said gesturing towards the caught arrows in his hand, which was bleeding from scratches on his palm. Rallen calmed himself and clapped his knuckles together at Corin in a sign of respect.  
  
"You are better than I thought lad but your still nowhere as good as I," Rallen said smiling.  
  
Corin didn't say anything instead he handed the arrows over to Rallen and got to work on his wounds. The Crone smiled a brief smile at the boy's cold and serious attitude but wiped it from her face as she took out the flare and lit it with a stone and her steal knife.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Crone sighed and finished her wound bandaging. Just then her bodyguards approached her. Corin, Wraith and Rallen had just come back from scouting ahead and from their awestruck faces the Crone knew that they had seen the Ruin Ship in the distance.  
  
"Is it in walking distance?" the Crone asked standing up.  
  
"Yes we can make it to the ship easily enough," Wraith said still looking awestruck.  
  
"Then I will go and you three will accompany me," the Crone said moving off to inform Grim of her plan.  
  
When the Crone came back they moved out with Corin leading and Rallen guarding the rear. Wraith stayed close to the Crone and was ever watchful for any sign of danger. The troupe moved at a cracking pace and never once broke formation. They rested only once on their journey but it was only to regain strength so there was no hunting or foraging done. After a few hours of hard trudging they were a hundred stretches from the Ruin Ship itself. Joy gripped them all except Corin who was strangely looking around and straining to hear something. The Crone noticed Corin's distress and was about to ask why when something jumped from the trees. Corin unsheathed his sais but was forced to lower them as a spear was leveled to his throat. 


	22. Tree top pass

Chapter 22  
  
Kira and Breg were back on guard duty. The only difference was that they were stationed in a remote area where nothing ever happened. They were in the tree posts. Salama had ordered the two here to guard the old routes on purpose to show them the meaning of patience and duty. The tree posts were aptly named because this route was covered on either side of the road with dense foliage and large trees. The tree post route was once used to transport food and supplies to the Ruin Ship when it first crashed about a thousand or so years ago. Now it was barely used but it held a special past so the road was not blocked off. Breg and Kira had fond memories of this place. When they were children they found this secluded place and it forever became their playground. They would spar there they would play hide and seek there and they would climb the trees to see who could go further. They knew this place very well.  
  
Kira and Breg occupied the tree towers which were look out posts that were high up in the tree canopy. Kira stood rigidly still and was sharply focused on the road as if she was taking guard seriously. Breg on the other hand was just sitting in her tower playing with her hair and humming a tune to Kira's annoyance.  
  
"Must you continue to annoy me?" Kira asked frustrated at Breg's slack behaviour.  
  
"Don't you like my singing?" Breg asked pouting at Kira.  
  
Kira rolled her eyes and stop her complaints. There was no way she could get Breg to stop. Besides Breg had a wonderful voice and it really was pleasant to listen to. Kira sighed and knew the only reason for her rash comment was because she was bored. Kira looked back at the road and resumed her duty.  
  
"I thought as much," Breg said and started to hum again.  
  
Kira rolled her eyes and sighed once again. Then she heard a faint noise.  
  
"Breg!" Kira hissed and pointed to her ear then down the road.  
  
Breg understood and strained her hearing to pick up any unnatural noises. Breg heard a faint noise and shrugged at Kira as if to ask what the noise was. Kira smiled mischievously and tilted her head towards the tree tops. Breg understood and smiled herself and picked up her spear and jumped to the nearest branch. Soon the girls were speeding their way through the tree tops with expert ease in search for the source of the noise.  
  
After a few minutes of swinging from branch to branch they found what they were looking for. A small group of Icearls were escorting a Crone. Kira looked at the sight and wondered what they were doing walking through the abandoned route. Breg slid up next to Kira and they followed the troupe together, all the while discussing what they should do.  
  
"What should we do?" Breg asked quietly.  
  
"We let them get closer to the entrance and then we confront them," Kira said equally quiet.  
  
Breg nodded and got ready to spring on them. The plan always was that Kira took the front and Breg took the rear. Breg moved her slender lithe body into position and followed close but out of hearing distance. Kira hastened to the lead and made eye contact with Breg before pulling down her mask. Breg followed suit and when the travelers were a hundred stretches away they jumped from the tree tops from branch to branch until they landed and had their spears level with the traveler's throat. The boy in front of Kira had his Sais out in an instant but it was an instant too late. Kira pressed the blade of the spear on the boy's throat and spoke in a loud clear voice.  
  
"Who are you?" Kira asked just as Breg placed her spear on to Rallen's throat threateningly.  
  
"What business do you have on Ruin Ship territory?" Breg asked just as loud as Kira.  
  
The Crone stepped out of the safety of the fierce looking shield maiden and moved towards Kira.  
  
"I am the Crone of the Far Raiders and I have urgent business at the Ruin Ship. Let us pass in peace," the Crone said calmly looking into the girl's eyes.  
  
Kira stood mesmerized by the Crones shocking, luminous silvery eyes but didn't move her spear away from Corin's throat. After a long pause and a tense silence Breg couldn't hold herself any longer and called out for Kira.  
  
"Kira?" Breg called hoping to get a reaction from her friend.  
  
Kira snapped out of her daze, shaking her head and resumed her stance and removed her spear from Corin's throat but then moved it to the Crone's throat as she stepped forward. Corin saw the movement and reacted before her thought ahead. His orders were to protect the Crone and so he did. The boy moved like lightning, unsheathing his sais and batting the spear away while stepping in front of the Crone. He held up his sais in a fighting stance ready to rumble with the new threat. Kira didn't like the way the boy had challenged her so she held up her spear in a fighting stance in challenge.  
  
Corin smiled and lunged at his opponent with both sais coming down at the shield maiden novice. Kira moved to block them and was surprised at the boy's speed. Corin spun and crouched, all the time lashing out with the sais. Kira saw this and jumped back and counter attacked with thrusts of her spear. Corin had no time to stand up with Kira's constant counter attacks so he continued his spinning attacks in his crouching position, occasionally lunging out a low kick. Breg watched on with interest and lost concentration far a moment as she watched the match. The momentary lapse of focus was all Rallen needed to take the spear from her and hold it at her throat. Rallen stood smiling at the girl with her spear leveled at her.  
  
"Rule one for a shield maiden; focus," he said mockingly.  
  
Breg realising her mistake pouted behind her mask and moved to kneel in front him as Rallen instructed her.  
  
"On your knees, and remove your mask," he said in a demanding voice.  
  
Breg complied and as she removed her mask the orange hue of the amber lenses gave way to the dark but white washed surroundings. Wraith glanced at the kneeling girl and gave Breg a disdainful look. Wraith couldn't believe that a shield maiden novice trained at the Ruin Ship could have forgotten the most fundamental of rules. Wraith shook her head and returned her gaze to the fight as if dismissing the girl. Breg had noticed Wraith and look she had received and pouted inwardly.  
  
"Kira was right. I'll never be a good shield maiden if I keep this up," Breg thought and also returned her gaze to the fight.  
  
Apparently neither combatant gained an edge. They were both well trained fighters for their age and neither one felt like submitting to the other. The fight was progressing though. Kira had long since lost her spear and was now fighting with her long knife and Corin had only one sai in his right hand which he twirled idly as the two combatants circled each other, matching step by step. Kira couldn't believe the boy had lasted this long against her. He was quick and as lithe as Breg was but he possessed more power than Breg did so Kira was wary and feeling worried that she might not fail as she observed his skill.  
  
Corin on the other hand was enjoying the challenge. He had not met an opponent yet that could last this long in a duel with him. He noted how Kira was as quick as he was and how she moved with liquid grace that would put even the most skilled of warriors to shame. Corin smiled and Kira was momentarily stunned at her thoughts of handsome he was in a kind of untamed way. The momentary lapse of concentration was a mistake as Corin lunged at her with a flurry of punches and kicks coupled with random attacks of his single sai. Kira cursed herself for being off guard and had a hard time keeping up her defenses. Eventually Corin landed a punch to her stomach that wasn't too hard to injure her. Instead he held back his strength and only knocked the wind from her which temporarily stunned her.  
  
Corin finished her by delivering a low sweeping kick to the back of her knees which unbalanced her and caused her to fall backwards and lose her grip on her long knife. Corin caught the knife in mid air and landed lightly on top of Kira, pinning her to the ground with his knees on her arms. He then leveled his sai and the knife to her throat. The bout was over and Corin came out victorious. The two combatants stayed in position, breathing hard causing mist to form from their mouths. Corin's dark brown eyes bore through the amber lenses of Kira's mask. Kira stared straight back at the deep brown eyes challengingly as if to demand a rematch. Corin and Kira stayed there in the snow, Kira on her back and Corin on top of her with his knees pressed firmly on her arms and the weapons at Kira's throat.  
  
No one moved. Their eyes were eternally linked in a bout of wills. None of them wanted to break the gaze for the loser would be forever shamed. Just the Breg, who was now standing, called out to Kira.  
  
"Kira that's enough, accept the defeat with graciousness and learn from your fight," Breg said reciting a line that Salama had always taught them.  
  
Kira grumbled indignantly but Breg was right it wasn't like a shield maiden to lose sorely. Kira removed her gaze and Corin smiled a victorious smile but removed the weapons aimed at her throat. Corin stood up slowly and offered a hand to Kira which she accepted but as Corin pulled her up Kira moved her hand in a circle and grabbed Corin's arm she retrieved her knife in a swift yank and threw Corin to the ground. Then she removed her mask and looked at Corin's stunned expression.  
  
"A shield maiden also never gives up," she said icily unaware of the presence behind her.  
  
"You will never be a shield maiden if you act like that Kira," said a familiar voice behind her.  
  
For the first time in front of strangers Kira showed emotion. Her cheeks flushed red and a look of horror came over her. She spun to see Salama with the normal group of shield maiden novices behind her. Kira automatically straightened and clapped her knuckles at Salama.  
  
"You are well trained in combat Kira but you are ill trained in defeat," Salama said shaking her head disdainfully.  
  
Then she walked over to the Crone and uttered words of apology to her on behalf of Kira and Breg.  
  
"I am sorry for the rashness of Kira's actions. I also apologise for Breg's lack of skill," Salama said looking disappointedly at Breg.  
  
"It's alright. In fact we rather enjoyed the small duel," the Crone said politely.  
  
"You have a talented bodyguard," Salama said acknowledging Corin who was getting to his feet.  
  
"Kira apologise for your rudeness," Salama ordered.  
  
Kira frowned deeply and was outraged at the fact that she had to apologise but one look at Salama told her not to embarrass her any further so Kira clapped her knuckles and apologised hurriedly. Salama relaxed a little and turned to the Crone.  
  
"Now if I may have my trainee back I will escort you back to the Ruin Ship. You were expected," Salama said pleasantly then in a loud voice so that Kira and Breg could hear "I will also see to it that these girls will receive the proper punishments for their actions,"  
  
Breg, upon hearing the word 'punishment' couldn't contain herself.  
  
"But we didn't do anything! We were only fulfilling our duty!" Breg whined.  
  
"Hold your tongue girl!" Salama said sharply "Get back to your post, both of you, I'll deal with you later,"  
  
Kira and Breg complied sulkily. Breg retrieved her spear from Rallen who was smiling at her. Breg poked her tongue at him and leaped onto the nearest branch and disappeared back to her post. Kira picked up her spear with her foot expertly and while she did she picked up Corin's sai and threw it back at him with deadly aim to his head. Corin caught it easily to Kira's surprise and sheathed it. Kira breathed sharply out of her nose in frustration before pulling down her mask and retreating into the trees.  
  
Salama shook her head in disapproval and signaled the other girls back to base. They complied and quickly moved off back up the path.  
  
"I'm sorry for Kira and Breg," Salama said when the girls were out of hearing range "They are the most reckless of the group. It is hard to control them let alone teach them anything," Salama said dejectedly.  
  
"It is fine, I had my bodyguards with me and they are also fine," the Crone said smiling "Besides they are no more wild or clumsier than a girl I once mentored," the Crone said smiling even broadly.  
  
Salama smiled in recognition but said no more. Instead she moved off towards the Ruin Ship with the Crone and her bodyguards in tow. 


	23. Milla's two cents

Chapter 23  
  
Tal and Milla laid next to each other in the same bed of soft furs. Tal didn't like his sleeping quarters and preferred to rest with Milla. Milla hadn't objected to sleeping with Tal in her quarters. In fact she preferred to be by his side now that he was back on the ice. Tal felt more safe and secure just knowing he was near her. Tal was sound asleep and looked very innocent to Milla. He had his arms wrapped around her in an embrace, which Milla didn't mind. She noticed that Tal had a habit of holding on to things and Milla assumed that it was more of a matter of assurance than of intimacy. Milla had noticed that Tal always needed to be sure of things so it wasn't really an issue if Tal slept by here or not. Milla kind of enjoyed his company but in a way it unnerved her. Normally she took it as an action to get warm but lately she was unsure. Although Milla was meant to be sleeping her thoughts of Tal and his habits had kept her annoyingly awake.  
  
"Why do I notice these things about Tal now?" Milla thought.  
  
"Is it love?" she whispered out loud as she turned to face him.  
  
Tal breathed a warm breath over her and Milla felt as if Tal had just answered her unconsciously. Ever since Tal and Milla had shared the passionate night together Milla in the castle, Milla was unsure of her feelings towards him. She didn't know if she should be on intimate terms with him or if she should just block out her feelings. As Milla thought she deduced the torrent of thoughts down to one single emotion. Uncertainty; uncertainty led to the unknown and that scared Milla more than anything. Milla knew she wasn't going to rest despite her fatigue so she removed herself silently from the tangle of Tal's arms and donned her outer furs and left the solace of the room and Tal's innocent sleeping form.  
  
Milla walked around aimlessly through the now quiet halls and corridors. As Milla wandered she found her thoughts always straying to the relationship that Milla and Tal possessed. It wasn't a purely business relationship. It was also a confusing relationship that was all shades of gray. Once, a long time ago, their relationship was a complicated web of debts but it was black and white. It was clear to Milla that it was only business. Then Tal had brought her to Aenir where her world of black and white were warped into different shades of grey. But ever since she had was reacquainted with Tal her world was once again rocked as it was quickly being splashed with colour.  
  
Milla shook her head and came back into reality; too much thinking wasn't good for a tired mind such as Milla's. She had wandered outside unconsciously. Milla was about go back inside when movement between openings of a tree line caught her eyes. Milla moved stealthily into a line of trees. Her White Ursek furs helped her blend into the snow and made her practically invisible. As Milla approached the point where she saw the movement she heard voices. One voice was strangely familiar and Milla had a hard time trying to place a face to the voice, which sounded even and chime like.  
  
"Salama last I heard you were only an honorary shield maiden, but look at you now. You are almost a shield mother. You have gone past all of my expectations," said the familiar voice.  
  
"I learnt from the best Crone," said another voice.  
  
Milla's ears pricked up at the mention of the word Crone. Then just like lightning a face fell into place into Milla's mind. The Crone of the Far Raiders!  
  
"Let's just hope that Breg and Kira can be swayed so easily like you were," said the Crone.  
  
"I have them learning patience and obedience the hard way, so I believe that they will learn to behave soon," Salama said.  
  
"We can only hope," replied the Crone.  
  
Milla couldn't resist meeting her old friend and mentor so she made her presence know to the small band.  
  
"Was I ever a troublesome brat?" she asked smiling as she moved from her hiding place.  
  
The three strangers accompanying the Crone had their weapons out in an instant and aimed them at the source of the sound. Milla walked into the light of the Crone's luminous eyes and a gasp filled the air as the Crone recognised who it was and motioned the others to lower their weapons.  
  
"Milla!" the Crone said in exasperation.  
  
Milla clapped her knuckles and moved to hug her old mentor. Everyone was surprised to see Milla of all people show such a display of emotion but Milla didn't care. If there was one thing she learnt while staying with Tal it was to show people how much you feel for them with out words and clapping her fists together seemed so pointless to her now.  
  
"Milla it is good to see you after all this time, how long has it been?" asked the Crone as they parted.  
  
"Seven years," Milla replied.  
  
"Seven long years," echoed the Crone lost in her thoughts.  
  
"Where are you going?" Milla asked as the silent reunion went on for too long.  
  
"To meet the other Crones to settle a dispute," the Crone answered smiling and resuming their walk towards the ship.  
  
Milla simply nodded and walked along side reminiscing back to when she was only a novice and was under the Crone's command. As the group past the tree towers Milla noticed one of the Crone's followers, the boy, look up at the tower and smile. Milla followed his gaze and saw one of the guards tense her grip on her spear as if ready to throw it.  
  
"Are those the troublesome girls you spoke of?" Milla asked to Salama pointing to the girls in the towers.  
  
Salama looked up at them and nodded but smiled as well.  
  
"They aren't really troublesome they are more unique. I have high hopes for them if only they could control themselves," Salama said frowning.  
  
Milla nodded in understanding as she to had felt held back way when she was a young talented novice.  
  
"Don't punish them to hard, they really only need guidance," Milla said sympathetically.  
  
"I know it is just that they can be unruly at times," Salama conceded.  
  
Milla nodded and promised herself she would have a word with them later. Being the living legend gave her more authority and fame, which was exactly what Milla knew people responded to, although she never liked to admit it.  
  
When the small group arrived at the main entrance, the boy of the group was blind folded much to his dislike. The Thane who Milla now knew as Rallen and the shield maiden, Wraith, led the boy around by the hand as instructed. The boy sighed inaudibly so no one could hear but submitted to the will of the Crone.  
  
"It is now rest hour so you have a little over five hours left to rest," Milla announced as Salama led them away to suitable sleeping quarters.  
  
Milla watched as they left down the hall and after they were out of sight she moved off towards her own quarters suddenly tired. As she entered she found Tal frowning amongst the furs as if in unrest. Milla watched curiously at Tal and shrugged. She stripped off her outer furs and moved in amongst Tal's muscled arms so she was face to face with him. Tal's frown slowly faded as Milla closed the gap between them. Milla didn't close her eyes until she saw the last wrinkle of the frown disappear. Satisfied, she closed her eyes and began to count her breaths. 


	24. Enemies old and new

Chapter 24  
  
A Crone stood above the new ship she now claimed as her own. So far this young and beautiful Crone in her thick furs had ten ships full of loyal Icecarls at her command and disposal. She aptly named them her children of revenge. For that was what her mission was. She wanted revenge for having lost all her sacred land and having to submit to the new regime. The hunting grounds were ancient and could be traced back to Grettir and the Ruin of the Ship. When the veil had failed her ice began to melt and all she that she knew were gone, plucked from her as if it was nothing.  
  
To her it was the ultimate insult. Not only had the Chosen's folly caused her to lose her land, it also caused her to lose her family and it's honor and she would do anything to get that back. The wind started to pick up and it caused the Crone to reminisce of the fateful day the ice melted.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hale! Hale where are you girl?" yelled her mother.  
  
"Hale had gone out hunting by herself to prove her worth," said Jhal smiling at the girl's strong will to prove herself worthy of being his student.  
  
"Call her back we need to move from this place quickly!" the Crone said.  
  
Jhal looked at the Crone in confusion.  
  
"Why do we need to move?" Jhal asked puzzled.  
  
The Crone sighed and explained hurriedly.  
  
"The ice is melting and we have to move from here or we will drown in the water," she explained.  
  
"Forgive me but were these ships not used ion water once?" asked Jhal.  
  
"Yes they were but they were also lighter and travelled in water that was not freezing. If our ship touches water it will freeze the hull making it heavier and it will sink with everyone in it!" the Crone said hysterically losing all calm and patience.  
  
Jhal considered this and called for all hunting parties to come back to the ship, giving orders away to the messengers. The Crone and Jhal descended a near by ladder and onto the ice. They then went to occupy a sled and before they could move off they heard a loud and deafening crack. Before they could even ponder what the sound was their sled was pulled under the ice. The attached wreska struggled but were struggling vainly. The foot falls were causing more holes to form and everyone who saw what happened made their way to help their Crone. They were pulled under too and since the Ice Hunters were never the strongest of swimmers they drowned under the weight of their furs. The stronger swimmers did manage to swim hard enough to reach the surface but was not fast enough to escape the quickly forming ice.  
  
Meanwhile. . .  
  
Hale moved with ease on her skates over the ice. She felt freedom over the ice and felt like she owned it. Her mother would tell her stories of famous hunts made on the hunting grounds and Hale wanted to become a heroine just like in the legends. She hunted alone today and her target was a troublesome wild wreska. After a few minutes of searching she finally found it with its new prey. The wreska was large for its kind and seemed to be the most vicious. It had entrails all over blood stained mouth. Hale considered her options. There was perpetual light shining over the hunting grounds and although the ice was soft under her skates she pressed on knowing that she could take in a wreska.  
  
Hale moved closer and readied her spear as she closed the gap. She knew she would only have a moment to attack it unawares. When Hale was ten stretches away she unraveled the rope on her shoulder and tied it in an unbreakable knot. She then threw it with all her might at the target. The harpoon-sized spear missed the wreska and landed in front of the creature near its front foot. Hale didn't curse for missing because it was what she was aiming for. As she predicted the wreska was startled at the sudden sound and backed away from its meal and tripped over the harpoon that it was unaware of. Its front legs fell with a raking sound as its hooves scratched up snow.  
  
Hale moved in faster and picked up the end of the five stretch rope, leaning so close to the ice that she almost grazed her thigh. Hale spun as soon as she got the rope and kicked the ground hard so that she righted herself just in time to avoid a stomp from the wreska's back leg. Hale kicked off the ground and leaped up onto the wreska's back. Before the wreska could get up on all fours, Hale yanked the spear from the ice and slung the rope around the wreska's neck and tied the loose end to the other end of the spear. By the time the wreska got back up, Hale had already had a collar around its neck and was using it like a reign.  
  
"Harrrrrr!!!!!" the beast wailed in its deep-throated voice.  
  
"Come beast, submit," Hale yelled in her bell like voice over the wreska's howls of rage.  
  
As if in answer the wreska started to buck and jump trying to dislodge the over confident girl. Hale answered with slams of her sharp skates to the wreska's ribs. The beast cried out in pain and anger and bucked more furiously. Hale stopped her slams and gripped the beast harder with her legs and pulled on the reign. The creature got on its hind legs and kicked its front legs in an attempt to make the crazy girl fall off his back. Hale held on tighter and didn't move, determination set in her face.  
  
After a few more rounds of failed bucking the wreska finally submitted to the girl and fell to its knees to rest. Hale panted but was pleased with her efforts. Just then the veil boarder shrunk some more and the sun hit another portion of the ice in front of her. Hale knew it was time to return home before the ice got too soft and thin.  
  
Hale pulled on the reigns and got the wreska to its feet and she directed it towards the direction of the ship. The beast complied , it was too tired to disobey. An hour or so later she found the ship and was surprised to see no one out on the ice. Usually there was someone out but Hale couldn't see anyone. As she neared the ship the wreska growled and moved a step or so back. Hale frowned and motioned it forward. The wreska refused to Hale's annoyance but then she noticed something in the snow and hopped off the beast to figure out what it was.  
  
Hale wiped the powdery snow away to reveal a blue face under the ice. The face was of her mother. Hale cried out in shock and fell back with tears in her eyes. For the longest moment of her life she stayed still and looked on with horror in her eyes. Then she reacted mechanically. She removed the spear from the wreska's reigns and cracked the ice hard. It gave way easily and before her mother slipped away she lifted her out and held her in her arms. The cold lifeless body was stripped of all heavy furs, which explained why she got to the surface instead of sinking.  
  
It was then that Hale vowed to take vengeance on all Chosen. She would have her vengeance whatever the price.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We are ready to move out," said a screechy voice behind her.  
  
Hale felt goose bumps form on her skin. She didn't need to turn in order to know who it was. It was Harem, a spiritshadow from Aenir. He was a large lizard like thing of shadow. It pained Hale to have to rely on shadows to do her work but in this case she had no choice. The Chosen were many and there were not enough Icecarls to do her bidding so she had to rely on the word of this creature.  
  
"Good, is your army ready to storm the castle?" she asked mechanically.  
  
"Yesss," the thing hissed.  
  
"Where are they then?" she asked the shadow.  
  
Harem gestured to the deck and as he did a whole host of shadows large and small formed. Their eyes were as red as blood, a signature left by Hale herself. It would assure their obedience. The only shadow not to have red eyes was Harem. Hale looked at the group and muttered a word.  
  
"Small. . ." she said under her breath.  
  
Harem heard this and assured her there was more coming.  
  
"We need more time to free some more of our brothers and sisters but it shouldn't take to long," hissed Harem.  
  
Hale sighed.  
  
"How much longer?" she asked getting impatient.  
  
"A week," Harem said cringing a little.  
  
Hale's eyes brightened dangerously as she heard the news. Then her eyes became dimmer. Then she said in a low dangerous voice laced with threat.  
  
"I give you four days to complete the task,"  
  
Harem bowed and dared not ask for more.  
  
"Yesss it shall be done," he said and slithered away.  
  
The shadows disappeared with a popping sound just as Harem left. The Crone sighed and went back to resume her gaze over the ice.  
  
"Soon mother. Soon I will avenge you," she said in a whisper as a tear fell from her luminous eyes. 


	25. Feelings and confusion

Chapter 25  
  
Tal and Milla awoke almost at the same time. Milla awoke instantly snapping her eyes open as she was trained to do. Tal had sensed her awaken somehow and slowly opened his eyes. Milla smiled and untangled herself from his embrace. Tal was startled to see her under his arms and hoped she didn't take offense to it. Tal grinned sheepishly and apologised.  
  
"Sorry I have a habit of doing that," he said still grinning.  
  
"Did you sleep well? For a time you looked like the beast had risen again," Milla asked a little concerned.  
  
Tal looked away. He could look at Milla in the eyes. It was partly his fault that the beast was unleashed to harm her. For a long silent moment he couldn't say anything then when he saw Milla twitch a little from the silence he looked up at her and said the only thing he could.  
  
"I'm sorry. . ." he said and moved to get dressed, turning his face away trying to avoid Milla's hawk gaze.  
  
Tal got dressed into his un-ruined Emperor robe and white coat. As he put on his boots he stole a glance at Milla who was half naked and cursed himself silently at what he was doing. Then Tal heard a dull laughter in the back of his mind.  
  
"You're pathetic," the beast said.  
  
"Shut up," Tal whispered out loud.  
  
Milla turned to Tal as she heard him.  
  
"What? Did you say something?" Milla asked as her eyebrow rose in question.  
  
"No; nothing," Tal said and looked away with a blush rising on his cheeks as he saw her exposed chest.  
  
Milla stared at Tal. He was acting strangely even for him. Milla shook her head and got dressed hurriedly as she noted that it embarrassed him to she her naked. Milla sighed. Tal was confusing indeed. He didn't seem to mind her nudity when they were in his bed at the castle, why would he be embarrassed now? Milla got fully dressed and turned to leave. Tal saw this and thanked the light it was over. Tal definitely would have lost control if he was in there any longer. Tal followed Milla out the door dying to know what they would do to solve the problem. He was about to ask Milla when they entered a room where Tal noticed three tough looking Icearls and a Crone who seemed very familiar. Tal stopped at the door and met the stares that were directed at him. Tal met them easily enough and as he did he observed them in more detail.  
  
"Tal, let me introduce the Crone of the Far Raiders and her bodyguards Rallen, Wraith and Corin," Milla said gesturing to the respective person as she spoke.  
  
Tal gave a small bow and smiled as he got back up. Then he went up to the Crone and bowed again in a gentlemanly fashion.  
  
"It has been a long time," Tal said to the Crone as he got back up.  
  
"You have changed a lot, Tal Graile-Rerem I can see it as plainly as your physical appearance; your status has also changed Emperor," she said giving emphasis on the last word.  
  
Tal smiled and looked to the bodyguards. Corin gave Tal a sideways glance and looked away straight after he made eye contact. Wraith who was standing near the Crone looked straight at Tal and didn't blink which made Tal smile even broader. Then his eyes fell to a burly Icecarl lounging on thick furs.  
  
"Emperor Tal, were you not a wandering story teller once?" Rallen asked and laughed out loud for all to hear.  
  
Tal wasn't the least bit offended. In fact Tal knew he was going to take a liking to this man.  
  
"Yes Rallen I was and I have plenty more to tell," Tal said chuckling along with him.  
  
The Crone smiled and kept her laughter silent as she tried to formulate an answer to Tal's impending but Tal spoke before she could.  
  
"It is nice to see everyone here and well but I would like to ask a few questions that will clear up a few issues. Like what is happening on the ice that involves the Chosen?" Tal asked getting serious.  
  
The Crone took a deep breath and started her explanations, after all Tal did have a right to know.  
  
"You have probably heard that all the trouble has come from the Far Raiders ice," the Crone started.  
  
Tal nodded but didn't interrupt.  
  
"Then you have also heard that we were also blamed for the impending plot against the Chosen correct?" the Crone said stating the obvious.  
  
Tal nodded again but kept silent and kept his gaze neutral.  
  
"They are lies, as you no doubt have guessed and now you are wondering who then is causing a civil war to break loose," the Crone basically pulled the words out of Tal's mouth.  
  
"It would help to know my enemy," Tal said in a clear steady voice.  
  
"Then I am sorry that I cannot offer you a positive answer," the Crone said dejectedly.  
  
Several years ago Tal would have acted hysterical and would have started to shoot out questions but the present Tal was calm and collect and was listening intently.  
  
"A positive answer?" Tal thought then out loud he asked "What do you mean by that?"  
  
The Crone smiled and was happy to see that he was as great as Milla had thought him to be.  
  
"You have grown Tal," she said simply then she sighed again and continued "We have reason to believe that a single rouge Crone is amassing an army that is large enough to storm the castle more ferociously than when Milla did seven years ago,"  
  
"Who is this Crone?" Tal said patiently trying to get to the point.  
  
"The Crone of the Ice Hunters. She has taken many ships into her fleet and is now making quite a name for herself by attacking those who stand in her way of her goal." The Crone said frowning as she thought back to the Far Raiders battle with the Ice Hunters.  
  
"Mainly all other clans that don't become loyal to her get attacked and are given the choice to join her or die," Milla finished as the Crone was lost in her thoughts.  
  
Tal propped a hand under his chin and started to pace slowly in a circle. Tal was in deep thought and was trying to figure out what the Ice Hunter Crone's motive was.  
  
Similar thoughts rippled through everyone's mind and before anyone could say anything two people came through the thick fur curtain. Tal smiled as he realised they were the guards that had guarded the main entrance. Tal smiled at them both and received a small hesitant smile from the one whom he caught giggling while on duty. The girl who was always serious seemed locked in a gaze with one of the bodyguards and Tal noticed straight away that there were issues afoot. Before Tal could ask Milla Breg spoke.  
  
"The meeting will be held in the judgment hall in ten minutes," she said looking from Milla to Tal with barely hidden awe.  
  
Tal thanked them as they left and could have sworn that he heard laughter escape Corin's lips. Tal looked to the boy and saw that he had his head bent over and was chuckling to himself. Tal looked to Milla as if to ask why and she moved her eyes to the door. Tal understood and left as soon as he excused himself.  
  
Milla followed suit and soon Tal found himself making his way to the feasting hall with Milla by his side.  
  
"So what is between Corin and the girl? Oh and what are their names?" Tal asked curiously.  
  
"Their names are Kira and Breg. Kira was supposedly challenged by Corin and she lost," Milla explained briefly.  
  
"Kira is the serious one correct?" Tal asked trying for clarification.  
  
"Yes and they are both. . . unique," Milla added with a smile.  
  
"Unique? In what way?" Tal prodded.  
  
"They are very talented and feel as though their talent isn't put to good use. Therefore they become troublesome when they don't mean to," Milla explained.  
  
"Right, I suppose you know the feeling," Tal said with a knowing smile.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Milla asked sarcastically smiling and putting a hand to her chest gesturing to herself.  
  
"Oh nothing really. I once knew a girl who was very talented in everything she did and then one day she met a scrawny boy who put her talents to good use," Tal said stopping her in the empty corridor and looking her in the eyes.  
  
Tal sighed before he continued.  
  
"Although this boy felt that she was a braggart and had a superior demeanor at the time, his feelings towards her moved to respect then to admiration then to a feeling that he had never. . .known. . .before but. . .knew. . .what it was when he saw her again after several long years apart," Tal said trying to make his intentions known.  
  
Milla knew what Tal was saying but suddenly felt uncomfortable with expressing her feelings on the matter. Milla opened her mouth to say something but it got lost as she couldn't find the right words to say. Tal continued on and pressed the issue.  
  
"It was once said that if you don't say something the moment it needs to be said the moment passes you by leaving nothing known. This boy is now waiting for a sign from this girl to tell him that she feels the same way," Tal pressed.  
  
Tal had unconsciously moved forwards when he spoke and had now backed Milla up against the wall. Tal was now staring into Milla's eyes only inches away from her moist lips. Tal didn't expect Milla to reply so he leaned in for a kiss. He closed the gap slowly closing his eyes with the last image of her confused face fading into nothing. Milla looked at Tal and wanted desperately to return the kiss but too many complications stood in the way for it to be a true kiss of love. Tal was now so close to Milla that she could feel his warm breath on her lips. Milla was about to kiss Tal but then a pang of fear and doubt gripped her heart with a vengeance and Milla had to move her head to the side making Tal connect with her cheek.  
  
Tal opened his eyes and found himself looking into locks of white blond hair. Milla's sweet scent washed over him as she moved her head to avoid looking at Tal's stunned expression. Tal closed his eyes and frowned slightly. Tal pulled back and stepped away so that he was up against the wall opposite Milla. Then she spoke as Tal looked at her with a hint of hurt in his eyes.  
  
"This girl you speak of," Milla said playing along with Tal's game "Also grew to respect and admire the boy but instead of feeling the bliss of an unknown feeling she felt confused and. . ." Milla gulped and Tal realised how hard it was for Milla to continue "Scared and every time she was near him she felt nothing but those emotions,"  
  
Tal listened to her in a silence that defended his ears. Then the empty hall suddenly became busy with Icecarls moving between them. Milla and Tal both knew that their moment had passed and so many things were left unknown that it hurt the couple deeply in a place where only time could heal. 


	26. Crone moot

Chapter 26  
  
The meeting with the Crones was a daunting one. For Tal it was a first time and it was a very new experience for him. Tal would be expected to stand with Milla and the other Far Raiders in the Circle of Truth and Judgment and he would also be expected to speak on behalf of the Chosen. Tal thought of his inauguration ceremony and gained confidence that he would be able to speak in front of a whole host of Crones. If he could speak to his people then he would be able to speak with the Crones. . .but then again the Chosen didn't know how to enter his mind and be able to see things he wanted to keep hidden. This thought was very disconcerting to Tal but Tal knew well enough not to betray himself by pacing of fidgeting so he stood still and silently suffered.  
  
This was Milla's second time in this room. Last time she was here, Milla was being prosecuted for her crimes for breaking ancient laws. As she stood a few paces away from Tal she remembered feeling the awe and dread of awaiting her punishment. Milla reminisced back to that day, that fateful day that led her to become a legend. Milla closed her eyes and saw it clearly as if it happened yesterday. She saw herself in the chair with restraints at her wrists and her talon turned faced down. She remembered thinking of the punishments she would receive as her crimes were read out to her and the host of Crones. Milla opened her eyes and suddenly felt better. The fear and dread disappeared as she saw others around her and all concerns were washed away from her thoughts as she remembered that she was not here on trial to judge her innocence's.  
  
To the Far Raiders group this was truly an awe inspiring moment, even to their resident Crone. She had never been here before except when she was witnessing Milla's trial through the collective mind. To be here in person was a true honor. Corin, Wraith and Rallen were thinking similar thoughts and all they could do was stare in awe at the vast room where legend had described as the place where all important judgments were made. Although they were not on trial, they felt a pressure on themselves that made them nervous even though not a Crone beside their own could be seen.  
  
Outside guarding the doorway was, of all people, Kira and Breg. They felt honored to finally be doing something worthy although it was guard duty. Breg could hardly contain herself and couldn't help but whisper things to Kira, who was trying her best to look like a real shield maiden to all who passed by.  
  
"Kira, can you believe that we are right outside the Hall of Judgment?!" Breg whispered ecstatically.  
  
"It's just guard duty again it's nothing special," Kira said coolly although she didn't sound convincing, even to herself and Breg knew it.  
  
"As calm as ever. One day you'll see my point that acting like stoic mindless halfwits isn't going to get us anywhere," Breg said making a childish face at Kira.  
  
Kira just rolled her eyes at the comment and changed the subject.  
  
"It is strange though that Salama would give us a post at the exact same time as this important meeting. We are still only a pair of novices in training. Why didn't she give the post to someone more important than a couple of trainees?" Kira asked seriously.  
  
Breg smiled to herself and winked at Kira mischievously.  
  
"Maybe it wasn't Salama's choice. Maybe it was that Corin boy who decided he would honor your request at for a rematch in front of all the Crones, just to humiliate you again," Breg said giggling hard with a hand over her mouth.  
  
Kira glared at Breg and sent a deadly look to which Breg just giggled harder at. Kira sighed in frustration and gave up her attempt at trying to scare threaten Breg. Kira knew Breg's spirits wouldn't be dosed with mere dirty looks. Kira sighed at the laughing girl.  
  
"Even if we did have a re-match; I would crush him," Kira said to herself more than to anyone else.  
  
Breg overheard her and now it was her turn to roll her eyes. Kira never gave up. It was her life's mission to be the best and no one stood in her way.  
  
Breg was about to say something to deflate Kira's dangerous vengeful thoughts when she saw something approach from down the well lit hallway. Kira followed Breg's gaze when she looked up from the floor and saw many Crones with luminous eyes walking in two straight lines. Their eyes were silvery and glowed brighter than the hall did even with sunstone light reflecting off the golden mirrors. Then Kira noticed movement from the other side of the hall and saw more Crones approaching. Breg and Kira stiffened to attention after their initial gawking and tried to remain calm and silent which was a challenge for Breg as she kept stealing glances at the approaching hoard.  
  
Breg noticed that the Crones were separated into two groups. The Crones which she spotted first were younger and had luminous silver eyes while the others had milky and dimmer eyes. The Crones stopped at the side doors which were smaller that the large entrance halls. They looked at Breg and Kira for a moment in expectation and wonder as if they were two very interesting people. Kira and Breg held their breath and stood stock still as if the hoard of Crones were going to attack at any minute. Then Kira moved to face them and motioned to the side door that was on her side and bowed slightly. Breg looked at Kira in a strange way but followed suit. The Crones smiled a collective smile and walked through the doorway and up the stairs. After a few minutes of tense silence the Crones disappeared up the stairs. After they left Breg almost collapsed. Kira was dry heaving and bent over with her hands on her thighs as if she just finished sprinting the perimeter of the Ruin Ship a thousand times.  
  
"That was the most hardest thing I have ever done," Breg said breathlessly.  
  
Kira nodded as she tried to stand up straight although her legs were feeling like glow jellies. Then Breg giggled in her immature way that unique to her. Kira shot her a questioning look. Breg caught it and explained.  
  
"We are here and we haven't done anything and yet we are trembling like idiots!" Breg whispered as she heard voices from behind the large oak doors.  
  
Kira had to smile, she couldn't hold it back. It was true they had done nothing to embarrass herself and yet she was trembling like a fool as if she hadn't seen a Crone in her entire life. She was losing her sanity it was the only other explanation. To lose control of herself like this over seeing a tide of Crones was definitely not like her. . .but then again how often did an Icecarl get to meet Crones from all over the Ice?  
  
From inside everyone heard the shuffling of the Crones feet and robes as they slowly started to fill the room. Just then a very old looking Crone walked out into the center of the room and sat in a chair that elevated itself to a level higher than everyone in the room. The Old Crone had milky eyes and had wrinkles that had seen many ages. She wore simple black robes with furs to match. Just as the chair stopped elevating the last Crone entered the room. Milla and Tal took in a collective breath and calmed themselves by reminding themselves that they were not on trial.  
  
"We have been called here today to discuss a few matters that concern the Icecarl and the Chosen," the old Crone said her voice deep and resounding in everyone's ears.  
  
"Dark have my visions been of late. We must find a solution before the peace between our two people is destroyed," the Crone said in a rather apocalyptic tone.  
  
Tal and Milla exchanged a look and they both each others mind. Someone had to speak now and Tal felt he owed it to Milla to speak first.  
  
"On behalf of my people I agree. A solution should be found and quickly," Tal said in a clear and powerful voice.  
  
The Crones turned as one to look at the new speaker and seemed to speak to each other through the collective minds. Tal kept his nerves steady and continued to address the old Crone in the chair. She seemed to be nodding as if agreeing to something she heard from the collective minds.  
  
"I believe that we cannot prevent what is coming but we should try none the less," Tal continued when no one spoke.  
  
The Crone in the chair chuckled silently. The silent laughter spread through the Crones in fits and it unnerved Tal. Tal breathed out a breath to steady his nerves but found that he could not speak further for some reason. Then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and thanked the light that it was Milla.  
  
"The Chosen Emperor is correct; we should plan our defenses and also try to reason with the Ice Hunters," Milla said backing Tal's idea.  
  
The Crones seemed to look at Milla with distain as if she had insulted them by having the gall to address them. One group of Crones seemed to sneer at Milla but Milla was determined to show that it didn't bother her. The Crone in the chair seemed to silence the Crones with a frown as if she was yelling at them in the collective mind. Then as they settled the all important Crone spoke.  
  
"What do you propose we do War Chief?" the Crone asked making a slight emphasis on Milla's status.  
  
"I propose we assemble a small team of Icecarl and Chosen to meet with the Ice Hunter's Crone and make a treaty. We have nothing to gain if a war is to break our bond with the Chosen," Milla said summing up her plan and opinion on the issue.  
  
There was a minor outbreak of muttering amongst the Crones. Tal, Milla and the group behind her stood patiently to await a verdict and as time passed they became some what edgy.  
  
"Do you think they are considering the idea?" Tal asked Milla.  
  
Milla shrugged and looked to the Far Raiders Crone, Tal followed suit. The Crone's eyes were clouded but her face showed doubt as it frowned. The three body guards were silent but as the time passed further they became jittery and their hands often fell to their weapons as if they half expected to use them. Tal faced forward and looked at the Crone in the chair. She seemed torn between something and Tal could only hope she was fighting for Milla's solution. Then as the muttering about the Crones settled, the Crone in the chair spoke.  
  
"We agree and give permission to follow out your plan War Chief but there are a few questions that we need to ask the you and the Chosen Emperor," the old Crone said in her resounding tone.  
  
Tal straightened at the mention of his title and Milla stood by him supportively. Milla side glanced at Tal as if to say get ready.  
  
"First I would like to point out that the Crones present know of your relationship with the War Chief," the old Crone said addressing Tal.  
  
Tal kept a straight face but betrayed himself by taking in a sharp in take of air as he slowly moved his head to look at Milla's. Milla seemed to avoid his gaze by staring straight ahead. Tal cleared his throat and addressed the hoard of Crones.  
  
"Then if you know about our relationship, then you should know I have made my feelings known to Milla. If you had seen and felt our emotions then you will know that it will not affect our judgment if that is what you fear," Tal said stepping closer to the Crones a few paces and raising his voice.  
  
"We do not doubt your judgment Emperor. Nor do we doubt the War Chief. We only wanted to make clear that we know," the Crone said mysteriously.  
  
Tal sighed and bowed slightly before returning to Milla's side.  
  
"We do however foresee a grave problem that can be exploited by the enemy if it is not corrected. This problem just happens to lie between you and the War Chief," the Crone said.  
  
"What problem is that?" Tal asked losing all fear of the Crones.  
  
"A problem not worth mentioning but worth taking under consideration," said the Crone cryptically.  
  
"Could you be more specific?" Tal asked starting to get impatient.  
  
"Some problems are meant to be discovered and some told, this is one of the former," the Crone continued.  
  
"What?" Tal asked getting confused and angry.  
  
"Let sleeping beasts lie," the Crone said her eyes glowing brighter.  
  
"Tal," Milla whispered in horror as she looked at Tal's hand.  
  
Tal followed her gaze and was shocked to find that it was growing larger and his nails were growing to claws. Tal then felt a loud roar in his head that made him clutch his head and fall to his knees. Milla stepped forward towards him when the Far Raiders Crone stopped her with a glance. Tal was writhing in pain and Milla was helpless to stop him. The Crones looked on calmly as if this was what they wanted. Then Tal stop wriggling and stood slowly with his head still bent over, his eyes closed. All of a sudden they flashed open to reveal glowing red pits. Tal started to move forward but the Crone in the chair waved her hand lazily and that stopped Tal in his tracks. Frustrated, Tal spoke in a deep resounding growl. Milla recognised the chilling voice and knew Tal had unleashed the beast.  
  
"Let sleeping dogs lie?!" the beast spat in rage.  
  
"You are not welcome here but since you are here we shall discuss matters," the Crone said in her calm resounding voice that demanded authority.  
  
"I will make no deal with a Ice Witch!!" the thing said growling.  
  
"Be silent!" the Crone roared making everyone present flinch.  
  
The beast growled but didn't say anything further.  
  
"You were imprisoned for a reason and that reason that, cruel as it was; was necessary to restrain your evil," the Crone started.  
  
"That's obvious," the creature muttered and looked at Milla with a hungry look.  
  
Milla stared at it bravely knowing it had no power here. The beast wrinkled Tal's face into a look of fury as it saw Milla's fear of it disappear.  
  
"I'm still going to eat you," it said in an angry voice.  
  
The Crone wave her hand again and the beast flinched as if the wave had been a painful slap.  
  
"Watch your behaviour beast," the Crone threatened and raised her hand to complete the threat.  
  
The beast growled again but didn't look away from Milla until he was addressed again.  
  
"You are a simple creature but powerful if used the right way," the Crone started.  
  
"You cannot hope to make me a servant to this young brat. I have served my due and received nothing for it by your ancestors. You have nothing I want," it spat.  
  
"Freedom cannot be granted to the likes of you but I may have something you want," the Crone said calmly.  
  
The beast laughed a cold laugh and spoke in a slightly amused way.  
  
"What could you possess that I could possibly want," the beast chuckled.  
  
"Peace. Peace of mind and peace from all our people," the Crone offered.  
  
The beast chuckled.  
  
"You will not have me believe you can kill me, no matter how much I want it, it is not possible," it said coldly.  
  
"Yet you were imprisoned and you didn't think that was possible either," the Crone bartered.  
  
The beast crossed its arms and leaned to the side facing away from the Crones knowing glare. The beast growled once again signaling its annoyance. The Crone smiled and knew she had struck a nerve.  
  
"Even if you did find a way to give me peace, Ice Witch, what is your price?" the beast said thinking of the proposition.  
  
"The usual," the Crone said calmly.  
  
"Typical," the beast muttered.  
  
"What does that mean?" Milla asked the beast coldly "Where is Tal? What have you done with him?" Milla asked raising her voice in anger.  
  
The beast smiled coldly and spoke to her in a light tone almost sarcastically.  
  
"Have no fear your beloved is still here," the beast said trying to provoke Milla.  
  
Milla tensed her arms and stated to unravel the talons on her fingers. The beast smiled challenging her.  
  
"Go ahead War Chief," the beast said in Tal's voice.  
  
Milla hesitated and eventually calmed herself and stepped back re- solidifying the talons back to nails but never once did she remove her gaze from it.  
  
"Milla do not bother to bandy crooked words with this beast it is all but civilized," the Crone said.  
  
The beast laughed and bowed as if it prided itself on its evil.  
  
"Do you accept or not?" the Crone said a hint of finality in her voice.  
  
"On two conditions; you must keep your end of the deal," it said with a smile.  
  
"And the other?" the Crone said impatiently, clearly she was done bartering with the creature.  
  
"Let me test this boy's worth," the beast said.  
  
All the Crones seemed to stiffen at this request and for the second time during the meeting the Crones erupted in charter.  
  
"Test Tal's worth?" Milla said to herself under her breath.  
  
"Oh it's quite simple really," the beast said to Milla annoyance.  
  
Milla stared at the beast coldly but was annoyed to find herself that she had to ask the creature what he meant.  
  
"I have a duel with Tal in a place where everything is made equally. One could say it would be a battle of wills," the beast said slyly.  
  
Milla narrowed her eyes but then looked away from the beast's face as she saw Tal's innocent face wash over it for a moment. After a few minutes of chatter, the Crones silenced themselves as a decision was reached. After sighing the Crone spoke.  
  
"We honor your request but we have one of our own. Do not kill him or the deal is forfeit,"  
  
The beast smiled wickedly and accepted.  
  
"We start now," the beast said and closed his eyes.  
  
Then it opened its eyes and looked at Milla with its grin on its face.  
  
"I won't kill your beloved but you'll be surprised what a person can live through," the beast said and closed its eyes again, this time leaving them shut.  
  
"We will watch," the Crone said and waved her hand to reveal a floating, watery window that was misty and white. 


	27. Exocist the demon

Chapter 27  
  
Tal awoke in a strange place. The place was similar to the place in his head where he resided when the beast took over him. Tal was confused at his surroundings until a torrent of memories flooded his mind and clued him in on what had just happened. The place then warped and Tal had a feeling of nausea run to his stomach as the place swirled and became a violet hue. Tal looked around saw nothing but violet crystal walls and a smooth violet crystal floor. Tal was about to yell out when a mirage appeared in front of him with the faces of the Crones looking at him. As Tal watched the mirage he saw Milla looking directly at him. Then he saw himself standing behind Milla with folded arms and closed eyes. Tal was about to shout out to them when he heard a familiar laugh behind him. Tal turned to see a distorted image of himself. The eyes that were glowing red jogged Tal's mind and Tal knew who it was as soon as it laughed again.  
  
"Beast. . ." Tal drawled looking at the elongated limbs and claws warily.  
  
"Yes," it answered in a voice that was full of malice.  
  
"What do you want?" Tal asked in a blasé manner and turned to watch the mirage.  
  
"A fight," the beast said seriously "To see who is better; you or me,"  
  
Tal laughed throwing his head back. The beast's lip twitched dangerously but it didn't react. When Tal calmed he noticed the frown on Milla's face in the mirage and turned slightly to see a serious face on the beast.  
  
"Are you serious?" Tal asked loosing all his mirth, to Tal it seemed ridiculous that the beast could harm him when he was only a bodiless entity.  
  
As if reading Tal's thoughts the beast spoke.  
  
"We are now in a realm where anything is possible," the beast said moving closer to Tal.  
  
Tal looked around unphazed by the beast's approach. Judging from the violet hue Tal believed that he was inside the violet keystone. No other place would look this way. When Tal sensed the beast's impatience Tal sighed and faced his counterpart with his eyes closed reaching for the destructive powers of his sunstone. When he couldn't reach it Tal opened his eyes to look at his sunstone. It wasn't there! Tal patted himself down frantically searching his pockets and when he couldn't find it his face went white. Fear gripped him. How was Tal supposed to fight a creature without a weapon? The look of despair soon replaced itself with acceptance and Tal got into a fighting stance that he learnt from the Codex. The beast laughed at Tal and his bravery.  
  
"A noble trait bravery," the beast mused "It won't save you,"  
  
"Just try me," Tal said recklessly.  
  
If Tal was to end his life here he would go down fighting.  
  
"I will," the beast said and vanished.  
  
Tal's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around frantically for the beast. Tal heard a small chuckle and turned to see the beast face to face. The thing smiled and punched Tal in the stomach sending him flying into the violet wall. Tal hit and got the wind knocked out of him as he crumpled on the floor. Tal shook his head as he propped himself up on his elbow ready to get up. This was going to be a short fight. Tal got to his feet and doubled over from the sudden pain he felt in his gut. The beast laughed his evil laugh.  
  
"This is it? Somehow I had pictured this to be a longer battle," the beast said shaking his head but keeping his grin on his face.  
  
Tal coughed as he got up fully ignoring the pain in his belly. The beast vanished once again and Tal looked around again but this time he saw a blur go past him and come around again. Before the blur came at him again Tal looked down at his chest to see five red lines. Tal stared at it dumbly while the beast came in for another swipe. This time Tal felt the pain rake across his back and arched in his back before stumbling over in pain. Before he could fall the beast swiped at him again and made Tal go reeling back wind milling his arms to keep his balance in vain. As another line made itself known on his leg, Tal fell to one knee. The beast then came to a halt in front of Tal and smiled.  
  
"Having fun?" the beast taunted.  
  
Tal fell backwards in answer and sat there with his arms supporting him as he put his outstretched legs in front of him. He sat there breathing hard trying to cope with the sting of the scratches he had sustained. The beast breathed out in disappointment and uttered the word pitiful. Tal sat in a leisurely fashion with his arms behind him and his legs outstretched in front of him. Tal was just stalling for time. He needed to have a weapon and the only weapon he wielded with talent was his sunstone but he was inside his sunstone so how could he use it?  
  
"What would Ebbitt do?" Tal thought as he sat there feigning laziness.  
  
Tal then closed his eyes and pictured himself with his father and Ebbitt talking about sunstones.  
  
"Think boy, you're inside your sunstone," Tal's father said.  
  
"The place where all the power is!" Ebbitt said eccentrically.  
  
Tal shrugged visibly and thought of his sunstone. He thought and concentrated hard on trying to find the most destructive colour of the spectrum; violet. As Tal thought of the properties of the colour he opened his eyes and found himself holding a violet ball in his hand. Tal stood and looked at the ball curiously. The beast eyed the ball warily and looked a little afraid. Tal sensed his fear somehow and looked at the beast. It was the beast's turn to cringe. Tal took aim at the creature and threw the ball at it. The beast dodged it but the ball slowed and came back at it and hit its head sending the beast forward where Tal kicked it and sent it reeling back again. Tal motioned the ball to slam the beast repeatedly just as the beast had done to Tal. As the beast fell to one knee Tal yelled out a taunt.  
  
"Having fun?" Tal said with a grin on his face.  
  
The beast glared at Tal and spun in time to catch the ball. The beast struggled with the ball but eventually it broke the weapon crushing it to the bits of violet dust. The beast smiled and felt his superiority swell up again. It still had the upper hand. Tal simply smiled back and that made the beast's victory short lived. Tal was now confident he could destroy the beast. Tal knew he could do anything he wanted inside his sunstone. The information just slipped into his mind and it didn't even disturb him, Tal had done weirder things anyway. Tal thought of healing his wounds and it happened as a blue light washed over him from the walls. Tal was instantly healed and at that point the beast finally knew the meaning of fear. Tal had learnt quickly and was making arrows out of red light he had summoned. The beast couldn't die from these but he would feel the pain. The beast was torn in two. On one hand he wanted to give up but on the other hand he was ready to crush Tal at any cost to preserve his honor.  
  
Tal finished making a dozen arrows and held them in front of him in a row. He would teach the beast a lesson he would never forget. Tal would turn it into a pincushion. The beast stood his ground firmly and awaited the onslaught. Tal shrugged and let loose his arrows. The red arrows rushed forward at the beast and left a light trail as they screamed across the room. At the last moment the beast ducked and the arrows hit the violet wall and dissipated. Tal raised an eyebrow in disbelief and saw his mistake. The beast smiled and lunged at Tal covering the distance in blinding speed. Before the beast hit, Tal raised a shield of orange light and as the beast hit Tal countered by shattering the shield and sending the hard shards straight into the beast. It howled and fell back in pain. Tal then remembered what it was about to do Milla when it last escaped and fury made its way into Tal's mind. Tal stared at the beast picking out the shards from its body with a grunt of pain as it removed them. As Tal watched it he unconsciously made a sword of green light and yellow light. Tal was surprised as he felt a weight in his hand and looked at the long broad sword he had made. Tal's gaze went to the beast then to the sword. There was no mistaking what Tal would do next in the mirage Tal saw everyone cheering for him to slay the beast while it was weakened but Tal hesitated as he raised the blade over his head. Then before he could swing the down upon the beast pity and mercy filled his mind and made him lower the sword to his side.  
  
The beast stared stunned at Tal's actions and got to all fours ready for an attack. Tal simply stared at the beast and spoke in a calm voice.  
  
"You don't have any choice in what you are do you?" Tal asked rhetorically.  
  
The beast was now acting like his namesake, on all fours and growling, all charisma lost.  
  
"I want to be rid of you but at the same time part of me knows that you cannot help yourself for being bitter," Tal said more to himself then to the beast.  
  
Tal walked over to the window where the Crones and Milla were standing and spoke with to them.  
  
"We need his help. His strength is an asset if it is controlled and contained," Tal said and looked back at the beast.  
  
The thing picked out the last of the shards and glared at Tal after standing on its two feet again.  
  
"Mercy, a confusing trait," it said and moved over to Tal so fast that for a moment he vanished.  
  
"But a noble trait none the less," the beast said and breathed on Tal's face as it reappeared behind him.  
  
Tal fell instantly unconscious. 


	28. Milla's fear

Chapter 28  
  
Milla watched as the fight ended with the beast rendered Tal unconscious. The watery window disappeared and the Crones began to mutter something under their breaths. Milla caught the gist of it and heard a whispered 'weak' from a small group of Crones. Milla frowned at this comment but couldn't complain because she also thought the mercy shown to the beast was weakness. Milla none the less was worried for Tal. The silent form of Tal didn't move for a few minutes and then as the Crones settled Tal opened his eyes but they were still red. Milla moved forward and was about to beat the Beast senseless when it looked at her and stumbled towards her Milla reflexively caught Tal's body moving her arms underneath his. As Milla hefted Tal's body upright the red hue in his eyes dimmed and became the normal dark brown pits. Milla crouched and gently laid the body down and rested Tal's head in her lap. The beast had gone back to sleep and left Tal in a state of unconsciousness.  
  
"This meeting will continue," the Crone said unphazed by the duel.  
  
Milla looked at Tal and took of her coat. She rolled it under his head like a pillow and left him on the floor near her. The Crone in the chair then spoke to everyone out loud.  
  
"We have all seen the power the emperor possesses and have all seen the power of the beast be crushed within him. I believe it is safe to let them proceed with their plan. Please decide now, if you are against this move to the left, if you are for this then move to the right," she said as the Crones moved to get on a side.  
  
Then before anyone else could move a young Crone came into view and addressed the moot.  
  
"I have a question," she said getting everyone's attention then she spoke to Milla "Do you understand what having a relationship with this Chosen entails?"  
  
Milla wasn't really stunned by the question but she wasn't prepared to answer it with certainty. Milla had expected as much ever since she had slept with Tal. Her actions that night came about partly because of her respect for him and partly because she was under the influence of the alcohol. Milla was uncertain on how to answer properly so she spoke the truth.  
  
"I have no certain answer. You have seen my thoughts and emotions. I am confused about where I stand with Tal," Milla said with all sincerity.  
  
The Crone nodded but just as Milla relaxed another question was sent to her by another Crone.  
  
"We can understand your discretion. It is vital that we know what you feel before leaving on your mission so we can better prepare the Emperor for the trials," she said causing Milla to show her shock visibly.  
  
The Trials were a series of bonding tests that a couple had to under go to see if they were meant for each other. Milla regretted having spoken the truth. Since she was unsure of her fate with Tal she now had to undergo the Trials. Her tests would be more demanding that Tal's but since Tal had not witnessed a session of the trials he would not find them easy.  
  
Tal started to stir. His groans made him known to the moot and the meeting progressed quickly as he stirred.  
  
"Milla we leave your fate with Tal to the Trials that will start tomorrow due to the lack of time but you may choose your team. Choose wisely War Chief and good luck," the Crone said as her chair swiftly descended.  
  
Milla clapped her knuckles at the Crone before she left and bent over as the Crones left. Milla could feel the stares of the Crones bore holes into her back but she didn't mind. She would rather be stared at by them than face the Trials. Tal started to awaken and as he did the Far Raiders Crone and her bodyguards left them to be alone. Tal fluttered his eyes open and saw Milla's face staring down at his. Tal smiled weakly and as he moved to get up he fell back down as a splitting headache cracked through his head.  
  
"Just breathe," Milla coaxed as she sat down next to him and supported his head.  
  
Milla seemed lucid to Tal but he sensed a distance inside her and couldn't help but question why.  
  
"Milla? Milla what's wrong?" Tal asked.  
  
"Nothing. . ." she said placing a hand over his eyes and running it down his face "Rest now. . .you'll need your strength tomorrow," Milla said in an unusual sweet voice.  
  
Tal couldn't help but fall asleep listening to her voice.  
  
"Rest Tal. . .Rest. . ."  
  
That night Milla didn't sleep well. When sleep claimed her she had a nightmare of the Trials and when she called for the Crones they didn't come. So she had to let it play out. She dreamed of holding hands with Tal on a mountain top. Suddenly a chasm split them apart and Milla was stranded by herself on one side and Tal on the other. Milla then heard a voice behind on her side offering her a safe way down the mountain. Milla turned to look at Tal who was beckoning her to go to him. She was at a dilemma and couldn't choose when finally she chose to be with Tal. Milla took a run up and jumped through the air and for a moment she felt as though she would make it but to her horror and dismay the chasm got wider as she was in the air. Milla couldn't reach the other side and fell into darkness. Milla awoke with a start! Cold sweat formed on her brow and soaked her back and chest. Her breathing was irregular and came out in short sharp breaths. Milla looked around frantically and saw Tal next to her wide awake and looking at her in concern.  
  
Tal then held her in an embrace that calmed her nerves. Never had she been that scared in her life. She was never afraid of anything because there was always a solution to things but that dream had made her know fear. Milla didn't let go of Tal until he pulled her away from himself to look into her eyes. Milla looked back but had problems focusing on what Tal was saying to her. Instead she started to notice odd things about Tal. Strange things that she would never have took notice of before. Like that amount of perspiration he had on his naked torso and the fact that his hair wasn't dangling so messily in front of his forehead. It wasn't until Tal shook her gently that she started to focus.  
  
"Milla are you alright?" Tal asked concern set in his face.  
  
"Yes, it's nothing I just had a nightmare," she said face as white as her under shirt.  
  
Tal raised an eye brow.  
  
"Milla, you never have nightmares," Tal said slowly now starting to feel a little scared himself.  
  
Milla simply nodded and laid back down. Leaving Tal to find a way to help her calm down he had never once seen Milla lose control like that and the fact that she did unnerved him and brought back the pounding headache he thought he was rid of.  
  
"Milla tell me of your dream," Tal said lying down to face her.  
  
Milla retold the events of her dream and Tal listened intently to all of them and was surprised to know that he was in her dreams.  
  
"Then I fell into the chasm," Milla said breathing hard as if she just relived the whole thing.  
  
Tal slapped himself mentally and cursed himself for making Milla relive the dream. Tal was speechless. He didn't know what the dream meant but he thought retelling it to get it out of her mind would work, apparently he was wrong. Milla's ragged breathing didn't calm which made Tal helpless to do anything but hold her closer to him and coax her to calm herself.  
  
"Slowly Milla, deep breath now, in. . .out. . .that's it. . .good,"  
  
Milla calmed but was now trembling, she was afraid to go to back to sleep. So Tal stayed awake with her all night just holding her to stop her trembling. Tal was worried now and was beyond scared. Whatever made Milla frightened out of her wits was making Tal very nervous. 


	29. Getting to the Trials

Chapter 29  
  
The hours of rest dwindled way and made a path for the hours of the new day. Milla and Tal did get some rest eventually but awoke many times during the night. Tal had often coaxed Milla to sleep that night which changed the way Tal saw her. Milla had always seemed like a calm and controlled person but the night's events made Tal see Milla in a new light. Milla was just a normal girl who was brought up in a harsh environment which ruthlessly shaped her into what she was today and Tal felt sorry for her. Milla was shaped to be warrior where weakness was not an option therefore had to be suppressed. Milla was reliant on many things and now that she was a grown woman she found herself losing the things she had relied on. Like the dream Crones for instance they never came to her aid last night.  
  
"Being a warrior must have never left her anytime for love or other passions in life," Tal thought as he finally realised her fear.  
  
"She is afraid of love because she has never experienced it before," Tal thought further as he got dressed.  
  
Milla was still shaken from last night and was determined not to show it although Tal could plainly see the fear eating her from the inside. It pained him to see her like this but if he mentioned his love for her then she would surely break down and she couldn't afford to do that in her position as War Chief because many people looked up to her.  
  
Tal sighed heavily. It was a big problem that needed to be solved quickly but Tal knew he couldn't press the issue or it would break Milla.  
  
"I will have to start slow then," Tal thought and went to help Milla with her boot that she had spent ten minutes trying to get on.  
  
Tal silently pushed her hands gently away and unlaced the boots. Tal quietly corrected the problem and laced them up for her. He smiled when he was done and sat next to her on the bed.  
  
"Milla, I have something to tell you," Tal started.  
  
Milla looked at him and lifted a finger to his lips.  
  
"I must speak to you first, it concerns. . .us," Milla said choking out the last word.  
  
Tal heard the strain in her hard pressed calm voice and remained quiet, Tal could wait. Milla took in a shaky breath and turned to face him and held his hand squeezing it lightly.  
  
"Tal, remember when you tried to kiss me yesterday?" Milla asked.  
  
Tal nodded but his face didn't show any sign of hurt or anguish, in fact he kept smiling.  
  
"When you passed out during the meeting with the Crones, they asked me what my feelings were for you. I told them that I was. . .confused about my feelings," Milla said squeezing Tal's hand tighter.  
  
"Go on," Tal urged lightly.  
  
"I honestly thought that they would stop their questioning there. . .and they did," Milla said replaying the scene in her head.  
  
Tal raised and eye brow questioningly.  
  
"Then a Crone spoke of making us go through the Trials to help with our. . .my. . .decision," Milla finished, taking in a long breath.  
  
Tal was now confused.  
  
"What are the Trials?" he asked confused.  
  
"They are a series of tests that a couple must undergo to prove to others that they are indeed in lov. . .a match. . .but more importantly it helps the couple realise if it was meant to be," Milla said with a little struggle in her voice.  
  
Tal stared blankly at Milla trying to absorb what he just heard. Tests to prove one's love? It sounded like the achievement game in Castle.  
  
"Knowing the Icecarls as I do it must be like the obstacle achievement game," Tal thought bitterly.  
  
"Tal? Tal say something," Milla said worriedly as the silence stretched.  
  
Tal shook himself from his thoughts and looked at Milla in all seriousness, smile gone from his face.  
  
"I never thought I had to prove my love," Tal started before being interrupted.  
  
"Tal believe me I never wanted this to happen and the test is more for me than fo. . ." Milla started but Tal held a finger to her lips and kissed her. The kiss was full of his love for her, even if Milla didn't know it.  
  
Tal parted himself and stood ready to leave.  
  
"Know this; I never intended to prove my love, I thought it was clear but I also knew many people would never have foreseen it. Milla, I will take the Trials for your sake but I am disappointed at you for not trusting your feelings, even a warrior shaped by the ice must know when to use the head and the heart," Tal said summing up his present thoughts and feelings before leaving Milla to think about what he just said.  
  
Tal left Milla's quarters satisfied that he lifted a burden off his chest that was threatening to crush him. Tal felt he had also lifted a burden off of Milla's shoulders but felt a pang of guilt as he thought back to the conversation. Had he put his heavier burden on her? This thought eat at Tal as he searched the ship for a Crone to talk to. Oddly enough he passed one on the way to the Feasting hall neither did he find one present inside the hall.  
  
Tal's search led him all over the ship and as he walked through every corridor he thought of the stupidity of the Icecarls for blind folding him as he arrived here on the first day because now he was lost in an endless maze of similar looking corridors. Tal passed doors and large rooms he had never seen before and started to get a little frustrated.  
  
"Dark take it! Why did they have to blind fold me?" Tal raged silently as he walked through a hallway that looked very familiar.  
  
Tal looked to his sunstone and studied its depths. The time was the half an hour passed the eighth hour. Tal sighed and calmed himself.  
  
"Okay, you can find an exit to the ice, just follow the heat. If it drops then you're on the right path," Tal coaxed himself.  
  
He would have to find a Crone later. Right now he concentrated on finding a way out of here and onto the ice where he could easily follow the ships exterior to the main entrance. Tal unclasped his toggles of his trench coat and moved down the hall when he got to a familiar fork in the road. Tal shut his eyes and felt for any indication of the ice. Just as Tal was about to give up because he felt stupid just standing there with his eyes shut, a very faint cold breeze wafted towards him that came from the left side of the fork. Tal smiled.  
  
"Maybe there may be some hope left," Tal thought as he followed the breeze until it faded.  
  
Tal was now feeling colder as he felt the temperature drop. Tal followed the cold towards a large door made of oak. He pushed on it and it budged. Tal felt a cold wind slice through him as he stepped through and cursed himself for not doing up his coat. Tal raised his sunstone to wash himself with its heat to stop the sudden cramp that formed in his thigh.  
  
"Okay now that I have found the ice I should find the entrance," Tal thought as he descended the steps in front of him.  
  
The wooden steps overlooked a vast cave where many small ships and boats were docked. Tal stared at the vastness of the cavern and was truly amazed. Tal reached the bottom of the steps and as he did he noticed that there were people rolling barrels and pulling bags of what smelt like selski meat. Tal's boots crunched on the ice as he made his way out of the cavern and onto a frozen lake. Tal slipped and slid across it on his boots and cursed as he fell over. Tal was noticed by a few Icecarl and was laughed at. Tal got back up and stood straight and smiled at them as he did they moved on. This was ridiculous, how was he to get anywhere without ending up with a sore rump before he could find the entrance?  
  
Tal looked around for options when he spied a pair of attachable bone ice skates. Tal smiled mischievously looked around for their owner. Satisfied that no one was about Tal snatched them up promising to return them. Tal looked at the skates and wondered how to put them on after inspecting its various parts.  
  
"The hooked end must go in the front, must be the brakes," Tal thought.  
  
After a few failed attempts Tal secured them to his boots tightly and got up warily.  
  
"Okay, how do I do this?" Tal muttered as he took baby steps towards the open ice.  
  
As Tal did this he picked up speed and almost fell over as a wind picked up and almost knocked him over. Tal steadied himself and spread his legs apart a little to make himself stand still to get his bearings. Tal saw that ship wall was three or five hundred stretches north west. Tal nodded and was determined to get to the wall and follow it, if he could even skate that far.  
  
Tal tried to think back to the last time he had seen an Icecarl skate and an image popped into his head. When Tal was in the nightmare machine at the hall of nightmares and was trapped in his dream he remembered calling for the Crones. A Crone came to his aid on ice skates! Tal grinned as he remembered clearly how the Crone glided over the ice. Tal shut his eyes for a few moments, replaying the scene over in his head.  
  
"Okay right foot first," Tal uttered as he lifted his foot and glided forward.  
  
Tal slid for a few stretches and lost his balance. "Argh! Left foot follows!" Tal shouted as he brought up his left leg forward and shifted his weight.  
  
Tal slightly leaned his body left and regained his balance. Tal's then placed both feet on the ice and slowed until he stopped. Pleased with himself Tal pumped a fist in the air and shouted out in joy and almost lost his balance.  
  
"Tal you're great," he said and moved forward warily slowly gaining speed.  
  
After a while skating became fun as he experimented with turning and stopping and soon he became confident that he could skate without falling. Tal spun in a circle by pivoting on the brakes and laughed at the sheer joy of getting dizzy. Tal was having so much fun he forgot what he was meant to be doing. Tal restrained himself and stood still and tried to get his bearings. He looked around to find the Ruin Ship shining luminously north of him. Tal saw that he was very far away and slapped himself as he saw the time. It was the eleventh hour. He had spent almost three hours out on the ice skating.  
  
Tal set his face in determination. He had more pressing issues at hand and here he was playing around! Good grief if his father could see him now. Tal sped back in towards the ruin ship as fast as he could go without tripping over, which was quite fast, Tal had learnt quickly. As Tal neared the ship he noticed a green light and two figures crouched over something. Tal's curiosity got the best of him and he skated nearer to she who it was and what they were doing.  
  
Tal approached as silently as he could not wanting to alarm anyone. One of the figures looked back as it heard Tal and alerted the other. They held up the lamp and in the green moth light Tal could see their familiar faces. It was Kira and Breg and as Tal noticed the rods and buckets near them he guessed they were fishing.  
  
"Hello, what are you doing?" Tal asked casually.  
  
"Oh! Emperor Tal!" squeaked Breg as she noticed who it was.  
  
Tal smiled and saw Kira stiffen as straight as a board.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kira asked clearly stunned.  
  
Tal smiled sheepishly and heard Breg giggle.  
  
"I was lost and somehow I found myself on the ice, so I decided to learn how to ice skate," Tal said truthfully.  
  
"Do you know how to skate now?" Breg asked in a friendly tone.  
  
"Yes I do and I must say that it is fun. Did you know I spent almost three hours out here doing it?" Tal said happily as Breg giggled again then she looked serious.  
  
"Um. . .shouldn't you be at the Trials?" Breg asked as a look of dread filled him.  
  
"Breg! That's none of our business!" Kira hissed and lightly slapped her in the shoulder.  
  
"Oh sorry," Breg said and bowed her head in shame.  
  
"It's okay. Actually maybe you can help me find where the Trials are held," Tal said making Breg cheer up slightly.  
  
"Maybe you should just go back to the ship; I'm sure someone else can help you better than we can and as you can see we are busy," Kira said politely.  
  
"Oh Kira please, we have to help him. Glow jellies can wait this is more important and besides he's late," Breg chirped.  
  
"But we don't know where the Trials are held," Kira said through gritted teeth clearly getting angry at Breg.  
  
"Oh bleh! You're such a rotten liar!" Breg poked her tongue out at Kira and that made Tal smile.  
  
Truly Breg was a one of a kind Icecarl. Kira sighed and gave in, there was no changing Breg's mind and Kira would have to go along with her to make sure she didn't get into trouble.  
  
"Alright but we leave as soon as we get him you there or we'll get into more trouble," Kira addressed Tal.  
  
"Thank you," Tal said and bowed.  
  
"Let's go!" Breg said enthusiastically and led the way.  
  
Tal followed and Kira sighed before taking up the rear.  
  
"We'll have to go the back way so that we won't be seen so sorry about that," Breg yelled behind her shoulder over the din of the now howling wind.  
  
"Okay!" Tal said and skated hard to catch up to her. 


	30. That familiar feeling

Chapter 30  
  
Tal, Breg and Kira skated swiftly over the frozen lake. Breg was surprised that Tal had kept up with the cracking pace she had set.  
  
"I suppose he isn't called the legend for nothing," Breg thought to herself with a grin.  
  
The trials were always held in the one place. The place was known as the caves of truth. Although Breg had only been there once as a guard, she remembered the way clearly and knew how to get there. Breg also remembered another way to get to the caves that would be much quicker than the normal path she knew the Crones would take. Tal caught up with Breg and skated alongside her speaking loudly to get his voice over the rushing and howling wind.  
  
"Breg I didn't get the chance to ask a Crone for some advice on what I'll be facing at the Trials so I was wondering if you could tell me anything that you know," Tal said as the group rounded a curve.  
  
"Well I'm not sure it's my place to tell you as it is your Trial and I don't think I'd be much help because I have only heard rumors of what the Trials are so I'm sorry I cannot help you," Breg said with a little regret in her tone.  
  
"Thank you anyway," Tal said giving her a small wink as he couldn't bow while skating along at such a speed.  
  
Breg smiled back and quickened her pace leaving Tal to skate behind and ponder the possibilities of what he could be facing. Tal was absorbed in his thoughts so much he didn't realise that Breg had stopped and went shooting right past her. Breg called out and Tal snapped out of his thoughts and almost stumbled over as he turned his head to see Breg and Kira waiting for him. Tal slapped himself mentally and pivoted on his brakes.  
  
"How embarrassing, and I'm the one who is supposed to be Emperor," Tal thought as he came to a halt in front of the girls.  
  
Tal looked around and expected to see a door or an entrance of some sort but failed to see one. All Tal could see was a cliff face. As Tal looked at it he had the sneaking suspicion that he had to scale it. His suspicions were confirmed as he looked at Breg who was giving him a beaming look of expectation.  
  
"I have to climb that?" Tal asked as he surveyed his path.  
  
Kira nodded solemnly while Breg bobbed her head enthusiastically which made Tal smile a little as he watched at how different the two were.  
  
"Okay," Tal said easily looking back at the cliff.  
  
Tal moved closer and inspected the icy cliff and knew light magic was the only way to go without the proper equipment Tal would have to make his own out of light. Tal stepped back and propped a hand under his chin as he ruffled through the potential spells he could use.  
  
"A hand of light would take too long, so would a stair of light. Maybe if I made a variation of the light rope. . ." Tal thought silently as Breg and Kira waited expectantly to see the Emperor's magic.  
  
Tal nodded to himself and bent to take his skates off. He placed them in his pocket absentmindedly and decided to make a light rope. Tal looked up at the cliff and wondered how high it was.  
  
"Should be about a hundred stretches at most," Tal said under his breath and started to weave the rope.  
  
Tal concentrated in silence and searched the depths of his sunstone for the right colours. Red yellow and indigo. Tal snapped his eyes open and held out his ring in front of him and aimed it at the cliffs top hoping he had aimed right. Then he frowned in concentration and held an image in his mind of a rope with a grappling hook and knots in it being weaved together. Tal fixed the image in his mind and as he did his sunstone started to glow. Tal waited until it was bright and shot the rope out of his sunstone. The rope spilled forth and shot right up the cliff. When it was half way up the cliff face the end of the rope split to become a three pronged hook. The rope traveled quickly and before long had latched onto something at the top. Tal tested the rope and when he was satisfied it was secure he flicked his sunstone and knots appeared in the rope and he began to climb the warm rope.  
  
It took Tal a good five minutes to reach the top and when he did he diffused the rope and thanked the girls.  
  
"Thank you for your help I won't for get it you had better get back to your fishing before you get into trouble," Tal shouted down.  
  
"Okay!" Breg yelled up and moved off with Kira.  
  
"Must remember to thank them," Tal whispered.  
  
Feeling a little exhausted from his climb, Tal sat on a near by fallen log and surveyed his surroundings. He found that he was amongst a thicket of white frosted trees. Tal looked at his surroundings with interest and wondered how anything could grow in the cold. Before too long Tal moved off to find the Trials or at least find someone who could get him there. After a few minutes of wandering through thick trees Tal finally came to an opening where he saw what looked like a circular ruin of some sort. There were pillars and what seemed like Icecarl writing on them. Tal moved to the center of the ring and found himself standing on sleet covered stone. Tal had originally thought that it was snow but as he looked closer he found an image etched into it. What it was, Tal couldn't make out.  
  
"Maybe it's a picture?" Tal thought as he bent down to trace the intricate lines with his finger.  
  
After a few minutes of searching and observing, Tal heard a faint but distinct sound. It came from the direction of the bone doorway. Tal stepped through it and waited on the outside of the ruins knowing full well the Icecarls sensitivity towards intrusion onto hallowed grounds. Tal waited and listened to the sound. As the beat of the drums and the rings of the bells played Tal noticed that they were getting louder. As the music drew nearer he heard chanting that made him feel light headed and dazed. Tal shook his head and focused, now was not the time to be distracted. Tal stared through the trees and saw sunstone light, green lanterns with luminous moths in them and fire torches.  
  
"A procession no doubt," Tal thought as they came into plain view down a path.  
  
The procession waltzed its way down the path and into the space just before the ruins, where Tal stood mesmerized at the hypnotic dancing girls and chanting Crones. Tal tore his eyes away form the hypnotic display and scanned the crowd for Milla. To Tal's relief Milla stood to the side and looked absentminded as if her mind was thousands of stretches away. Tal moved towards her, dodging and weaving through the crowd of still chanting Crones and instrument players.  
  
"Milla," Tal said tapping Milla's shoulder.  
  
Milla turned to face Tal and her eyes lit up as if she hadn't seen him for ages. Then Milla did something Tal never thought that she would do, she hugged him.  
  
"Milla, I've only been missing for a few hours," Tal said returning the hug with a chuckle.  
  
"Oh Ramellean, don't tease me so," Milla said in still hugging Tal.  
  
"Ramellean?" Tal thought as Milla mentioned the name.  
  
Then Tal pulled her gently away and held her by the shoulders. Milla then kissed him and threw her arms around him.  
  
"Milla. . . this isn't. . . like you," Tal managed to gasp out between kisses.  
  
Tal pulled away hard and stood a stretch away from her and looked at Milla. Something felt strange. Tal was looking at Milla but she had changed somehow. Milla seemed. . .refined. . .somehow and didn't look like the girl Tal had grown to love.  
  
"Who are you?" Tal asked softly still gazing at Milla's ethereal body.  
  
"It's me my love," Milla said reaching out to Tal with a concerned look on her face.  
  
"No. . .you're not Milla," Tal said getting closer to her "Milla wouldn't call me Ramellean,"  
  
Just then Milla seemed to snap out of her trance and frown as if she were struggling with troubling thoughts.  
  
"Milla? What's going on?" Tal asked supporting her as she stumbled forward.  
  
Tal set her upright on her feet as she stopped swaying and looked into her eyes which were wildly looking around. Then her eyes fixed on Tal.  
  
"Tal? Where were you? Where are we?" she said noticing the chanting Crones and the dancing girls.  
  
"The Trial ruins I think," Tal replied looking around with Milla "Are you alright? You weren't being. . .yourself. . .before,"  
  
"What do you mean?" Milla asked confused.  
  
"Nothing," Tal said dismissing the question and kissing Milla's forehead putting his arms around her.  
  
Whatever just happened, Tal felt certain it would be explained soon. As if on cue the chanting, music and dancing stopped. Everyone froze and stared at the couple. Then an old Crone stepped out from amongst the crowd which Tal recognised as the important Crone who sat in the chair at the meeting.  
  
"Our ancestor has chosen!" she said in her eerie resounding voice that reached the soul.  
  
Milla and Tal were stunned as the crowd gave applause and cheered like animals.  
  
"Now it is the Emperor's turn to choose," the Crone said and as she turned towards the crowd again the dancing, chanting and music started up again.  
  
Tal and Milla stared at the display in silence and awe. Too many things didn't make sense and too many things were happening to quickly for them to keep track but just as Milla started to ask something Tal's eyes clouded over and his head slumped. Mila drew back from the nearest Crone and went to support Tal who was now on his knees.  
  
"What is going on here?" Milla asked loudly to get over the din of the music and chanting as she held Tal but no one would answer instead the music picked up the pace and the chanting grew faster.  
  
Tal then let out a moan and fell backwards in the snow and his last image was Milla crouched over him shaking him, her mouth moved but no sound came. Then the world around him went black and the familiar feeling of unconsciousness claimed him. 


	31. Long lost relatives

Chapter 31  
  
Images flashed through Tal's mind. They rushed past him in a blur. Tal saw them as if he were an outsider viewing them. Then they slowed down enough for Tal to take glimpses of them. He saw a man, a Chosen, running down a Castle corridor and into the arms of a wild looking woman.  
  
"What?" Tal said confused as he watched the image play out.  
  
Then all of a sudden he was pulled into the image! Colours swirled around him like a rainbow tornado and picked him up swirling him around in its fury then Tal was dropped and the tornado disappeared. He looked around and saw the man he was watching before. He was dressed in Emperor robes and he was hugging a woman with ashen blonde hair who was wearing silver furs. Tal looked away from the couple in embarrassment as he realised he was staring at the two strangers share a passionate moment. Tal let them be and looked around at his surroundings. It looked like the hall of Greeting and Farewell. The golden mirrors and torches gave it away almost immediately. Tal sighed and knew he was somewhere in his own mind. A place where no one knew where he was therefore couldn't help him. Tal sighed and decided he was the only one who could get him out of this.  
  
"My love, I have waited so long for this moment," the Icecarl woman said making Tal turn to listen.  
  
"I have also waited and now we can proclaim our love to both our people," the Chosen man said moving towards the steps that lead the way back into the Castle with the woman on his arm.  
  
As they walked slowly Tal followed behind them not worried if they noticed him because he knew he really wasn't there.  
  
"My love we have so little time to make this love of ours known before we have to rebuild what Skerrakor has destroyed," the Icecarl said worriedly.  
  
"Don't worry Danir; we will proclaim it as soon as everyone is gathered,"  
  
"What? What did you say her name was?" Tal said walking through the couple, literally, to face them,"  
  
"Ramellean, I fear we will not gather enough people before we must part. So I need to give you this," Danir said removing on of her clear crystal talons and handed it over to Ramellean.  
  
"Ramellean!? Emperor Ramellean of a thousand years ago?" Tal asked taken aback.  
  
"Thank you, now I'll give you something," Ramellean said and flicked his sunstone over Danir's talon and then his, making a violet light wash over them.  
  
The talons that were clear became violet. As the light retracted back into the sunstone, (which looked exactly like Tal's keystone), it left sunstone flecks inside it that glowed briefly before dimming. Tal stared as the couple hugged and left for the violet tower.  
  
"You must be Tal," said a voice behind him.  
  
Tal spun to see the man he had just seen speaking to him as if he was real. Tal shook his head in disbelief and stared blankly at his dead Emperor.  
  
"I know you're stunned, let's get past that shall we?" he said amused at Tal's shock.  
  
Tal didn't know what to say so he bowed and got on one knee.  
  
"Emperor Ramellean," Tal said and offered light.  
  
"Get up boy, no need to give light to a dead Emperor," Ramellean said and hoisted Tal up.  
  
Tal was shocked to find the man had been able to grip him even though this was a dream of some sort.  
  
"You are real?" Tal said stunned.  
  
"As real as you want me to be," Ramellean replied waving a hand dismissively as if it wasn't important.  
  
Tal recovered from his shock and thought of what was happening and suddenly became excited.  
  
"Wow! You're really Emperor Ramellean! I don't believe this; wait until Ebbitt hears about this!" Tal said excitement twinkling in his eyes.  
  
"Yes we've established who I am, let's move on to more pressing issues," Ramellean said dousing the boys excitement.  
  
"Right," Tal said getting serious again but inside he was ecstatic.  
  
"You have just witnessed one of my most personal memories with my on true lover, Danir, whom I believe you already know of so let's pass this stage and do what we came here to do," Ramellean said almost forcefully as if speaking to Tal was unnerving.  
  
"What exactly are we here to do?" Tal asked confused.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Ramellean replied raising an eyebrow.  
  
Tal shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Really? I thought my descendants would have more wit," the former Emperor said jokingly.  
  
"What?! I'm one of your descendants?" Tal said taking the shock.  
  
"You have to be if you have just seen my most precious memory," he replied.  
  
"Okay now let me get this straight; I'm one of your descendants?" Tal said still trying to digest the information.  
  
"You said it boy. Now I must really get to the point before we have a family reunion. I was called here to help you realise the truth of your love for Milla. . . that is her name correct?" Ramellean asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Tal chuckled silently then laughed out right.  
  
"What's so funny?" Ramellean asked.  
  
"I'm getting love advice from my most famous ancestor," Tal laughed.  
  
"Really now I wasn't that famous. I only helped the three Icecarls bind Skerrakor. Which one of us helped destroy it?" Ramellean asked putting things into perspective.  
  
Tal's smile disappeared as he thought back to the day Crow put his life on the line and suddenly nothing seemed funny anymore. Then an idea came to him.  
  
"Have you seen Crow?" Tal asked hoping to speak with his dead friend.  
  
"Now is not the time, Tal," Ramellean said trying to get back to the point of the meeting.  
  
"Yeah I guess so but even though you're here I have no need for your help. I know how I feel about Milla," Tal said dismissively.  
  
"Do you?" Ramellean questioned.  
  
"Yes and there is nothing you or anyone else can say or do that can make me change my feelings for her so you can stop instilling doubt into me," Tal said in a clear voice that ringed with finality.  
  
Ramellean then smiled as if that was what he wanted to hear.  
  
"Good to hear, Tal you are truly my descendant and I am proud to call you family," he said and draped his arm around Tal's shoulders and ruffled his hair then he lead Tal into a portal that appeared in front of them.  
  
"Distant family but family nonetheless," Tal said with a grin.  
  
Ramellean smiled and hopped into the portal.  
  
"Well then in trust as new found relatives come with me back to the dark world," Ramellean said extending a hand.  
  
Tal smiled and gripped it.  
  
"Anything you say great grandfather," Tal said raising a laugh from Ramellean.  
  
Tal stepped through and was instantly transported back into his body. His eyes snapped open and he saw Milla shaking him. Tal was about to speak to her when he heard Ramellean speak to him.  
  
"With your permission," Ramellean said apologetically.  
  
Tal lifted his hands to Milla's face unwillingly and kissed her. Milla was shocked at his sudden actions but didn't resist as he quickly pulled away.  
  
"Danir I love you," Tal said then he slumped once again.  
  
"Tal?" Milla asked worried when he didn't get up.  
  
Tal opened his eyes at the mention of his name and smiled.  
  
"Yes Milla I'm here," he said sitting up.  
  
Milla sighed and put a hand up to Tal's cheek and stroked it in relief. Touching Tal was the only thing that reassured her of his presence so she stood next to him holding his hand. Tal rose to his feet with Milla's help and surveyed the now still scene. Then once again the old Crone came into view and spoke.  
  
"The Emperor has also chosen, the first trail is complete," she said as cheers and applause erupted through the crowd.  
  
Tal and Milla shared a look.  
  
"This is crazy," Tal said close to her ear.  
  
"I agree but it is for the best," Milla said squeezing Tal's hand affectionately.  
  
Tal smiled at her affection making Milla feel secure once again. Then he addressed the Crone.  
  
"What is the next trial?" Tal asked.  
  
"The caves," she replied and motioned the two to move into the ruins.  
  
They moved as instructed and faced the crowd still holding onto each other. The Crones, five in all, stepped in with them also, as well as a few shield maidens. When everyone one was finally in the ruins, the Crones whistled and a light erupted from the smooth stone floor. Tal squinted as the sudden light stung his eyes then as his eyes adjusted he saw the light's source. The outline Tal had traced earlier was now shining and Tal could see the image clearly. It was a picture of an intricately drawn heart. The heart had wings on one side and a pair of scales on the other. They were intricately woven together to form a beautiful picture. Tal stared at the picture with interest but soon found himself being tugged at.  
  
"Tal let's go," Milla said tugging him along.  
  
Tal looked up and found himself staring at two cave entrances with everyone in front of them. Tal smiled sheepishly and moved out of the ruins.  
  
"What just happened?" Tal whispered to Milla.  
  
"We moved quickly to this place on that platform by magic," Milla replied.  
  
Tal nodded as they approached the crowd of Crones. When Tal and Milla stepped into the center of the crowd a Crone stepped out and announced the next task for to the crowd.  
  
"The next test is a test of proof," the young Crone said then looking at Tal "The Icecarl way,"  
  
"Great. . .this means fighting," Tal thought tiredly.  
  
"Tradition is tradition and it will not be broken," the Crone said noting Tal's expression.  
  
"To help with the trials," the Crone said talking to the crowd again "It is the right for the trial takers to invoke a spirit of a past ancestor," the Crone turned to Milla and Tal; and then said in a loud voice "Choose wisely,"  
  
Milla seemed confident enough and seemed ready to answer. Tal had an inkling of an idea of what the Crone meant but couldn't be sure. Milla noticed the thin veil of confusion on Tal's and stepped forward.  
  
"I summon my great ancestor Danir!" Milla said strongly then placed a hand over her heart.  
  
"Whom do you wish to be your ancestor's carrier?" the young Crone asked.  
  
Milla walked over to a shield maiden whom Tal was surprised to learn was Wraith.  
  
"How did she get here?" Tal thought "I thought she would still be with the Crone she was guarding,"  
  
Just then Tal saw the Far Raiders Crone with Wraith and Rallen standing next to her. Tal slapped himself mentally for not noticing them before. . .but then again a lot had happened to him during the day's events and one could only take so many surprises. Tal looked for the third bodyguard, Corin, but couldn't see him anywhere.  
  
"I choose you, Wraith, do you accept?" Milla asked stoically.  
  
"I do," Wraith said solemnly.  
  
They nodded at each other and Wraith was led to the center of the circle by a couple of Crones who seemed to lull her into a trance as they held her hands. Tal watched as Wraith stood to his side and was facing the crowd. The serenity of the scene bore into Tal's head as it disrupted his forced calm with its own natural aura. The crowd stood expectantly at Tal as if he was meant to say or do something so Tal took a leaf from Milla's book and called up his nearest relative he recently met.  
  
"I summon my great ancestor Ramellean. . . I think," Tal said starting off strong but ending in flames.  
  
"Who will you choose to carry your ancestor?" A Crone asked slightly annoyed at Tal's lack of discipline but he was new to this so the Crone couldn't get exactly mad.  
  
Tal walked and surveyed the crowd and knew he had only had one choice and that choice was Rallen. He was the only other man there and Rallen knew he was going to be picked as Tal neared him. Rallen sized Tal up and made up his mind to help the tyke. For that was what Tal was to Rallen a poor confused child.  
  
"I choose, Rallen, will you accept?" Tal asked hoping for Rallen to say yes. 


	32. The ancestors cometh

Chapter 32  
  
Tal awaited Rallen's decision without a doubt in his mind that he would accept. Rallen smiled stepped forward from the crowd and into his own spotlight.  
  
"I will accept," Rallen said falling into a trance as soon as the words escaped his mouth.  
  
He was then lead by the hand to stand next to Wraith. Tal followed behind Rallen supportively but stopped as his chosen carrier was placed in the center of everyone's gaze.  
  
"I call forth the Trial takers to pass on their chosen ancestors," one Crone said from nowhere.  
  
Tal looked around for the disembodied voice when he realised it was coming from deep within his mind. Tal saw Milla move and followed suit. The met in the circle in front of the old Crone and were instructed to hold their hands up on either side of their carriers' head. The obliged obediently moving reverently but quickly as they had other pressing matters at hand. When the Crones thought that they were ready they stood in a circle around the four entranced people. The Crones then whistled their signature high pitched tune and as one they summoned a great wind that encircled the four people. Milla and Tal looked around themselves and saw the wind whipping their clothes about but they also noticed the winds direction. It wasn't a random gale as they had first thought it was a controlled and somehow artistic. Tal and Milla never would have noticed the beauty of the way the snowflakes encircled them if they had not been bound to Adras and Odris.  
  
The Trial takers looked dazed at the sheer art that was being created. They were entranced by the reality of it. Their guard was lowered for but a moment as they stared at the snowflake dance and the Crones took that opportunity. The pitch increased and the near ear splitting sound of the Crone's whistle turned the beautiful gale into an evil looking tornado like vacuum that sucked at their souls instead of their bodies. The tornado made the Tal and Milla glow with an ethereal aura. Although they were in no real danger there was some pain involved as the extraction of the ancestors began. Milla gritted her teeth and as the vacuum pulled at her mind creating a channel for Danir to pass through. Tal opened his eyes to mere slits only to receive a tide of snowflakes barge rudely into the cracks of his eyelids. Tal shook his head to clear his vision to no avail. After many attempts of trying to see what was happening through the haze Tal heard a groan near him and the unmistakable sound of someone falling onto stone.  
  
Tal ignored the stinging of the ice chips and forced his eyelids to stay open. Tal didn't move because he felt a force keeping him still but he was able to move his head. He moved his head slightly to the left just in time to see a glowing ghost like figure go straight into Wraith's forehead. Tal was shocked at what he saw but had no time to contemplate or even yell in surprise before the vacuum attacked him. The ice tornado formed into a hand that was more a of a claw shape. It moved with it's torrent of whipping wind in its wake and pressed a finger to Tal's head. Tal shut his eyes not wanting to see what it would do but unfortunately he was forced to watch the horrible claw go through his skull and extract a glowing figure. Tal's eyes stung from the repeated waves of snowflake attacks but he was helpless to do anything about it. The torture went further as a splitting pain cracked right through his head. The force of the sprit extraction forced Tal to stretch out his arms and throw his head back. The extraction was slow and painful and Tal used up all his might to keep from screaming out. Instead he let out groans of pain that sufficed in venting some pain but not all of it.  
  
After an eternity of slow torture the pain stopped and the last image Tal saw was a blurred vision of a glowing figure entering Rallen's body. Tal slumped to his knees and fell over landing on his hands before falling over completely and surrendering to the sweet calm and painless oblivion of unconsciousness. As soon as Tal hit the now smooth stone the tornado slowed to a gentle gale and then blew itself away in wisps caressing Tal and Milla's cheeks as if to apologise for the painful extraction. The Crones eyes dimmed and their whistle became nothing more than a soft melancholy sound. Rallen and Wraith's standing forms began to twitch and morph as the whistle silenced. Limbs elongated or shrunk and as they morphed and twisted the same ethereal aura shone once more and after a minutes worth of intense shape shifting the glowing entities stopped their bizarre motion and slowly opened their eyes.  
  
The Crones and shield maidens present gasped in astonishment as they looked at what used to be Rallen and Wraith. Before the crowd of dumbfounded onlookers stood a pair of glowing strangers. The glowing woman white blond hair that flowed down to her waist like a white gold river. The clothes she wore were unmistakably the finest white Ursek furs on the ice. The glow added shine to it and created an angelic air to the woman. A head band resided on top of her head like a crown that tamed the wildness of her long silky mane. Her most shocking feature was her eyes. They were fierce and hard but held a gentleness about them that created an instant love for her. Her skin was a pale as milk but looked as soft as a feather. This was without a doubt Danir one of the four most famous sisters in Icecarl legend.  
  
Standing next to her with the same unnaturally beautiful glow was a man with a commanding presence. His chestnut coloured hair and dark brown eyes complemented each other and gave the impression that this was a complex man who craved simplicity. His whit robes were but a variation of Tal's Emperor robes, whitewashed, long and baggy with all flesh covered. The clothes may have been baggy but they clung to him enough to reveal the curves of his chiseled frame making him appear like a living statue of a god. His face was clean shaven and hair was wavy but kempt in a neat style. Finally noticing the stares from the crowd Ramellean straighten from his easy slouch and put one hand behind his back and the other out in front of him. His chin rose to a noble level making the air around him vibrate, demanding instant respect.  
  
Danir had similar thoughts and straightened herself but got into an easy stance with an arm on her hip and the other clasped over the other. The two ghosts from the pasts met everyone's stare one by one. Then satisfied that they were not in any danger they slowly looked around the crowd then at each other. Their calm faces turned into surprise as they saw each other.  
  
"Danir?" Ramellean asked moving closer to his lover.  
  
"Ramellean?" Danir whispered in disbelief.  
  
"Do my eyes and ears deceive me? Am I truly looking at and listening my long lost angel?" Ramellean asked wide eyed.  
  
"It is surely a dream," Danir said extending an arm reaching for her partner.  
  
Ramellean reached out himself and as their hands touched all doubt dissipated. They smiled and hugged for joy and tears escaped the corners of their eyes against their will as they embraced for the first time in a long time. They parted and kissed deeply and lovingly not caring about the stares of embarrassment that they received. To see a long lost couple reunited was a happy moment indeed but it was interrupted by a stir of movement that came from the ground. Tal and Milla groaned as they slowly got to their feet blindly as they kept their eyes closed to harbor a lingering pain in their heads. They arose to their feet finally but didn't open their eyes. Milla pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the pain ineffectively. Tal did pretty much the same thing except flurried through different methods. He started by pinching the bride of his nose then he ruffled through various other methods before hitting his head and finally finishing by rubbing his left temple.  
  
Milla opened her eyes to blurred shapes and muffled sounds. Then as she concentrated on the first figure she saw the image became clearer. It was Tal she spied and as she recognised the shape in front of her relief and longing to be in his strong arms overwhelmed all other emotions as she uncontrollably made her way over to him.  
  
"Tal," Milla said as she neared him.  
  
Tal's eyes fluttered open and he turned at the sound of her sweet voice that cut through the pain in his head. His vision was also hazy but became sharper as Milla forced her lips onto his. The kiss was like a kiss of life. Tal's memory had returned sharply as the kissed prolonged. Tal didn't want the feeling to go she he held onto Milla and ran his hands down her back pulling her closer to him. Milla felt his strong hands envelop her and she felt safe and secure again. Memories flooded her mind of the past events but she didn't bother with them. What mattered was right there in front of her. The two parted as they ran out of breath and finally looked at each other with love and adoration in their gaze.  
  
"Well they are definitely our descendants," chuckled Danir side hugging her husband.  
  
The kissing couple spun to look at the glowing strangers in surprise just as the wave of memories came back to haunt their minds, Then with sudden realization they remembered where they were and what they were doing.  
  
"The Trials," Milla said to Tal calmly her face blushing slightly as she realised what she had just done.  
  
Tal chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.  
  
"Yeah I remember now," Tal said looking at the crowd then he returned his gaze to the ghostly pair "By the looks of it I think we succeeded in finding our guides," Tal said side hugging Milla a little tighter.  
  
"Very true Tal," Ramellean said snapping straight to the point "We're here to help you through the Trials and I see you have made a fine choice," he said gesturing to Milla who cringed only slightly under his gaze.  
  
"Milla I must say you do choose well also," Danir said surveying Tal.  
  
The two ancestors laughed openly leaving Milla and Tal to go red in the face. 


	33. Rematch

Chapter 33  
  
Whoosh!!! Scrrrusch!!! Crunch!!!  
  
Corin cleared a barrel that was in front of him. He skated hard to gain lost speed as he jumped through the air. The wind rushed through his ashen hair. The wind pounded his ears and cut through him chilling his bones but the hard movements prevented from being cold. The air whipped up from underneath him and threatened to sweep him off his feet but he pressed on. He skated on forward ignoring the wind's threats and by increasing his speed he dared the wind to do its worst. Corin was venting frustration. He was assigned to protect a Crone and although he knew she was safe he couldn't help but become angry at the fact. Corin cleared another obstacle, a bucket of glow jellies. He didn't lose any speed this time as he sailed over it with expert ease merely tucking his feet under him. He huffed and puffed out clouds of steam.  
  
"Be serious Corin. You're angry because you weren't allowed to go with the Crone to the Trials and not because worried about her safety. You delude yourself who are you trying to fool?" he thought to himself.  
  
"Too young," Corin said out loud feeling his anger vent from his mind.  
  
Corin was obviously too young to attend the Trial and was therefore ordered to stay behind. He knew he was being childish but he was a curious boy and the curiosity of what was happening frustrated him. Corin slowed his blistering pace as he finally came to grips with what was really eating him inside. He was angry at the Crone for not letting him go but he had no one to blame for his curiosity. As Corin thought these thoughts through he slowly descended into calm. He stood in the wind and didn't care that he was freezing. His fevered mind slowed as he grew colder standing in the wind. He kept his stare out over the icy lake. Nothing seemed like anything anymore. To Corin he pictured his life to be just the same old routine on the Far Raiders ship. Then all of a sudden he was informed of an impending war and everything changed when the ship was attacked. Corin thought back to the day he volunteered as a bodyguard and the events that had led him to where he was now.  
  
"I'm too curious for my own liking," he mumbled slowly skating back the way he came.  
  
Just as Corin started a cycle of self pity he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, movement that was almost a blur. Then as he turned to see what it was he was shocked to find the movement in the fog among him already. The moving figures were human shape so he relaxed a few hairs but he didn't know whether the approaching people were coming at him with good intentions. From the way they were skating right at him at such speeds he figured that they were either trying to run him over or didn't see him. Corin hoped for the latter but readied his sais just in case.  
  
"Halt!" Corin said startling the two girls that were coming straight at him.  
  
The girls swerved and almost lost balance. One girl did lose her balance and by the way of her clumsy fall he recognised the girl to be one of he girls he saw earlier.  
  
"Breg as I recall; then the other must be Kira," Corin thought to himself a smile spreading across his face.  
  
Breg landed hard on her butt and yelped in pain. Kira removed her mask and glared at the person who dared to startle her. When Kira realised who it was she whipped out her knifes from hidden places in her sleeves and got ready to fight. Corin looked at the knives and threw his head back to laugh. This angered Kira and her eye twitched dangerously.  
  
"I'll kill you for embarrassing me," Kira said through gritted teeth her patience waning.  
  
"I doubt you could lay a finger on be before I could slice you to pieces," Corin said canning his laughter.  
  
"Is that a challenge?" Kira asked gripping her knives tighter.  
  
"It is if you want it to be but I warn you now I'm not in the mood for playing so I might not go so easy on you like I did before," Corin said and turned his back on her to skate away.  
  
"You dare turn your back on me?!?!" Kira yelled but to no avail.  
  
"You ought to be more polite if you want a rematch Kira," Breg said getting up and rubbing her sore behind.  
  
Corin stopped and turned his head a quarter to acknowledge Breg's advice but he didn't turn fully.  
  
"You clumsy friend is right, I would be happy to oblige a rematch if you ask nicely although I wouldn't mind giving you a lesson in manners," Corin said haughtily and chuckled before slowly skating away.  
  
"Hey I'm not that clumsy!" Breg called after him jumping in anger at Corin's comment and fell over once again as she lost her balance.  
  
Corin smiled secretly to himself as he heard a thud and a cry of pain on the ice but then he heard a slight whistling sound approaching him from behind and knew that could only be Kira attempting to hurt him. Corin ducked and crouched into a fighting stance in one fluid movement that was aided by the terrain he was on. Kira brushed past him in a blur with an extended arm that missed it's target. Corin sighed and Kira pivoted gracefully to get into her usual fighting stance with fists out front and legs slightly bent. Corin got up and got into his own fighting stance but this time he didn't ball up his fists. Instead he left them open and stretched his arms apart, one behind him and one in front of him. Kira noticed this and wondered.  
  
"What is he up to?" she thought as she noticed his calm face void of emotion.  
  
Corin waited for her to attack and stood stock still ever watchful of and movement that betrayed Kira. She didn't twitch or shift her weight as normal people did before striking, which worried Corin. Kira was definitely a skilled warrior. She didn't betray her movements, so when she attacked Corin was hard pressed to predict her movements as the punches and kicks flew at him. Corin was amazed at how good the girl was at attacking stealthily but was also disappointed at her non effective techniques. Corin dodged easily and parry when he did but he was only playing with Kira and she knew it.  
  
Kira's frustration fuelled her aggression and her movements came quicker but the boy was not impressed. After a few minutes of fighting, Corin found her weakness to be in her offense. Kira no matter how fierce she acted was not all that. Kira's biggest mistake was her affinity to attack without the intention of actually hurting the other person. Kira whipped out a kick and Corin caught it easily with both hands and played out all the scenarios of what could happen. Just as Corin predicted Kira chose the non effective option of back flipping out of the hold. Kira skated backwards a bit but caught her balance and got into a fighting stance. Corin stood up straight and frowned indignantly, his suspicions were confirmed.  
  
"I thought you wanted to kill me but instead I find that you are holding back. You insult me," Corin said skating past her shocked face.  
  
"What? I never hold back," Kira thought as she turned to yell at him.  
  
"What do you mean by that?! I was fighting my best!" she called after him.  
  
"Don't my intelligence further by playing coy," Corin said almost boredly "You know you're better than this. You lost the previous fight with me not deliberately but stubbornly. You fight at a different level. Not by trying to win but trying to win by kindness. Altruism a noble trait but it is not a trait I admire within a fellow fighter as it shows mercy and weakness is all mercy is. So as I said don't insult me further," Corin explained and turned to skate away.  
  
Kira was flustered and speechless at Corin's analysis of her fighting skill. A million thoughts ran through he head just then.  
  
"The ruffian is being kind to me and he insulted me deeply by refusing to fight. . ." Kira thought as she stared at his retreating hide.  
  
Kira was shocked at actions and slapped herself mentally for staring like an idiot and geared herself up to crush him with a final comment.  
  
"You just showed me mercy by backing away so you show me mercy!!!" she called after him.  
  
Corin whispered his answer to the wind and picked up speed.  
  
"Altruism. . .a noble trait. . .it is beyond me," he said bitterly and skated away quickly as if running from his moment of weakness.  
  
Kira growled in frustration as she saw her comment roll off his back as if it didn't affect him. Breg had finally picked herself up and skated to Kira's side, dodging her wild thrashing.  
  
"Kira calm down you won already!" Breg said retraining the wild girl as much as she could.  
  
"What?! How could you say that?!?!" Kira said in an outraged burst "He insulted me and humiliated me yet again!"  
  
Breg loosened her grip on Kira as she settled a little and stopped her thrashing about.  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that you won?" Breg asked calmly.  
  
"What?! How?!" Kira asked now confused at Breg's suggestion.  
  
"Well he said that he wouldn't fight you because you insulted him by not fighting to your full potential but he also said it was a noble to fight with. . What was that word he used?. . .Oh yes that's right. . .Altruism. . ."  
  
"You're not making any sense Breg even for you," Kira said her anger giving way to confusion with her friend's unusual wit.  
  
"Did you ever stop to listen to what he said? He said that it was a noble trait. Maybe where he comes from it is a higher honour to win a fight kindly rather than by whatever means necessary. You won because you tried to beat him honorably and he couldn't face the fact that he wasn't on the same respectable fighting level that you were on," Breg explained.  
  
Kira stood staring at Breg baffled. Breg made no sense but in her own strange way she was correct. Kira was insulted that Corin left the fight but she was also the victor because she fought honorably on a different and higher plane of fighting. Kira stood still staring as she tied to digest the new information. Before Kira could speak Breg interrupted her.  
  
"Although if you ask me, I think that he should have won because he was actually fighting defensively rather than with dirty tactics. He also left with graceful humility by explaining himself and shrugging off your last comment, which was a little harsh. Also by the way you acted afterwards was like a spoilt brat and you had no self dignity to accept his apology however it was delivered you just thrashed about with anger clouding your thoughts. . ." Breg said getting louder as she ranted on and on about Kira's behaviour.  
  
Kira didn't seem to listen to Breg's ranting lecture as she was still contemplating how she won. When she finally accepted the victory, however awkward, a sudden thought hit Kira.  
  
". . .And you should be bashing your head on the ice right now for hurting the poor boy's feelings!0 He was just trying to. . ." Breg ranted before Kira spoke ignoring her.  
  
"Corin was being nice and insulting. . .Is it possible to be flattered and insulted at the same time?" Kira asked now staring out at the ice in a dreamy but docile mood.  
  
Breg stopped her ranting and digested what Kira had just said, marveling at the rare sight of Kira's philosophical face before adding her own two cents.  
  
"Apparently but I still think he should have won on account of his better behaviour than yours," Breg said sliding up to Kira's side.  
  
Kira registered Breg's presence as she slid around to face her but didn't seem to notice her. Kira was lost in thought which was rare thing indeed. Kira replayed the battle in her mind and watched herself fight. It was true what Corin had said but how did a ruffian of a boy like him know anything remotely about honour and a fighters code? Kira was silent during their trip back to the glow jelly hole and Breg was unusually silent which was odd for her but as the silence prolonged many thoughts were considered and many things were regretted. As the two girls reached the fishing hole and their buckets Kira finally spoke up.  
  
"I hate what I said Breg I really do and for the first time in my life I actually regret my actions," Kira said squatting and resuming the tedious task of fishing for glow jellies.  
  
"You should apologise for what you said to the boy and the way you acted but I must apologise also for losing my temper at you like that. Kira I'm sorry," Breg said hugging Kira tightly almost suffocating the girl.  
  
After releasing Kira from her iron grip Kira smiled despite herself.  
  
"Apology accepted but I should really thank you for opening my eyes to my faults," Kira said smiling a rare smile.  
  
Breg giggled and Kira stopped her smiling as Breg fell backwards for the third time laughing outright to Kira's confusion and annoyance.  
  
"What's so funny?" Kira asked deflatedly.  
  
"Your face seems so strange with a smile. It looks so out of place!" Breg said between fits of giggles.  
  
Kira shook her head in distain but was secretly happy because things were back to normal but with changes made for the better. Kira's peace was short lived as Salama skated in front of the girls with a scorn across her face. Ice chips flew into the girl's faces as Salama slid to a brake.  
  
"You two follow me and bring your glow jellies," she said in a deadly tone.  
  
Breg's laughter stopped abruptly and chocked in her throat. Kira knew they were in for a lecture and more punishment as she followed obediently. 


	34. Milla's first Trial

Chapter 34  
  
Ramellean and Danir stood in a loving embrace that seemed long overdue. Tal and Milla watched the couple exchanging longing glances and small but affectionate drenched kisses and warm hugs that would melt the coldest of ice. Milla felt a pang of embarrassment as she caught herself staring at the couple openly show their love. Milla had known that her ancestor was one of the greatest warriors in Icecarl history but what she was shocked to find was that Danir had a love in her life and it wasn't just the thrill of the hunt either. Before the War Chief stood her great ancestor of her line, happy and giddy just being around her love, Emperor Ramellean. This was all too much for Milla. . .but then again deep down there was never really any true shock. Being of Danir's line, Milla could feel the passion held within Danir. She could feel it all her life. The driving sensation to find something that proved that there was more to life than survival on the ice. Milla could feel the sensation now. It was a blip of emotion that circulated through her veins. She had always thought it to be a distraction but only just discovered that it was that emotion that created the drive for her to become the best. Milla could feel the drive to do her best even now.  
  
"I guess blood is thicker than water no matter how dilute it becomes," Milla thought as she leaned slightly on Tal's chest, resting her aching head.  
  
"Yes that is true. My blood runs strong especially in you Milla," a voice said in Milla's head causing Milla to stiffen but not panic.  
  
Slowly, Milla turned her head look around at the Crones because only they could have done such a feat of magic but then Milla listened to the voice again and what it had said and her eyes drifted to Danir who was looking directly at Milla with a knowing smile on her face. Milla raised an eyebrow at Danir in question and then she heard the voice in her head again, it rang sweet like a chime but resonated as deep as a large bell.  
  
"Yes Milla, it is I Danir. I can read your thoughts so there is no need for you to hide anything from me. You can also read my thoughts too but that takes skill to learn and a lot of time which you apparently don't have," Danir said still smiling sweetly at Milla even though a word was not spoken.  
  
"Really? I have to learn how. I would very much like to ancestor," Milla replied mentally quickly adapting to the new way o communication.  
  
"You will child you will, but not any time soon. We must proceed with the Trials as I have learned that there is a new threat on the people which you must deal with," Danir said softly.  
  
"I wish we had more time I would have liked to spend time with my greatest ancestor," Milla thought back in reply.  
  
"Sadly this can never be but someday when you reach my plane we can spend all the time we want together but until then we must prepare you for your trial," Danir said a little sadly.  
  
Milla nodded in answer and didn't realise that Tal had been watching her with a puzzled look in his eyes. Milla quickly explained in a short whisper.  
  
"I can talk to Danir with my mind," Milla whispered.  
  
"Really? How?" Tal asked in an excited whisper.  
  
"Dear Tal I thought you would have found that out by now," Danir said in his mind.  
  
Tal's eyes widened slightly in surprise but didn't react any further.  
  
"This is really something," Tal thought, trying out the new communication method.  
  
"It is boy but sadly this is not the time to play around with it," said another voice in Tal's mind.  
  
This time it was Ramellean's and judging from Milla's stare towards him Tal guessed that she could hear him also.  
  
"Come children we have much to do and little time to do it in," Danir said and moved to address the crowd "My daughters it is time for the trials to commence please leave this place," she commanded politely.  
  
Everyone obliged quickly and left immediately on the platform rising quickly and disappearing over the canopy of the tall trees. Tal watched as they left in awe as he was the only one who had not paid attention during the trip to this secluded place. When Milla realised that Tal was still watching she nudged him lightly and drew him nearer to her. Tal snapped out of the trance and concentrated on the task at hand, the Trials.  
  
"What do we have to do first?" Milla asked when she knew Tal had focused.  
  
"We will each take one of you and lead you through the caves. In the caves are a series of tests. The aim of the Trials is to prove to the trail takers what they seek is really what they want," Ramellean said sharing with a knowing smile with Danir.  
  
"What can we expect?" Tal asked businesslike.  
  
"Anything and everything that is needed to help you decide," Danir said shifting her gaze from one to the other analysing the pair.  
  
"Well knowing the Icearls as I do the trials would probably be some sort of combat or physical test," Tal said without thinking.  
  
Milla slapped him lightly and gave him a scornful look.  
  
"There are more to Icecarls than you think. We are not warmongers," Milla said a little upset at Tal.  
  
"I know. When I met you I knew there was more to Icecarls. The time I have spent with your people has opened up my eyes. I didn't mean to offend but I only reasoned that the Trials were made long ago in. . .well. . .there times," Tal said gesturing to the glowing spirits "I just thought that they would be more demanding than Chosen tests," Tal said explaining his logic.  
  
Milla shrugged and held Tal's hand, squeezing it to show him she understood but she stood a little apart from him to show that she wasn't totally happy with his little outburst.  
  
"Let us commence," Ramellean said breaking the silence "Tal come with me please,"  
  
"Milla with me," Danir said leading her over to the cave on the right.  
  
Tal and Milla walked together to the front of the caves hands still locked.  
  
"Tal you will go with me through your Trials," Ramellean announced solemnly.  
  
"Milla I will guide you but the rest is up to you, brace yourself for the coming challenges," Danir advised.  
  
Milla turned to Tal and held him close to her and felt his arms wrap round her tightly. The he let her go after a brief hug and spoke to her.  
  
"Milla remember that I love you and your love for me is the only thing that will see you through the Trials, not let our love waver for one moment but if you do lose it just think I will be with you every step of the way," Tal said gracing her forehead with a kiss.  
  
"I'll remember and I will also be with you every step of the way," Milla said hugging Tal tightly for the last time before letting a single tear escape her eye.  
  
Tal pulled apart and noticed the tear and wiped it away with a thumb.  
  
"Hey this isn't good bye, not yet anyway. I will meet you on the other side," Tal said kissing her cheek quickly.  
  
Milla felt a wave of warmth envelop her as Tal kissed her and felt his reassuring love flow through her.  
  
"Not if I get there first," Milla said as brightly as she could.  
  
Tal flashed Milla a bright smile as he sensed their old rivalry flare up again.  
  
"You're on," Tal said and finally parted to enter his side of the cave.  
  
Ramellean winked at Danir before following after his charge into the cave.  
  
"Milla it is time to go," Danir said and put a reassuring arm around Milla's shoulders in support and led her into the cave.  
  
Milla walked into the dark cave cautiously moving her eyes from the ground to the walls to the non evident ceiling. She would be ready for anything. She had to be, for Tal and for herself. The narrow tunnel they were descending was made of ice that had no frost evident so the incandescent glow emitting from Danir reflected off the walls and lit the way for them. The light bounced of the walls with twinkling after effects that created an ancient beauty to the place but Milla tensed ready for action ignoring the lulling splendor of the cave.  
  
"There's no need to lower my guard," Milla thought as she continued her  
  
"Relax Milla, nothing should happen just yet," Danir said placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
  
Milla slapped herself mentally; Danir could read her thoughts so it was no use hiding her anxiety.  
  
"I trust you but I feel more comfortable when I'm on my guard," Milla said pointedly.  
  
"Suit yourself but sooner or later you'll tire of doing it," Danir said boredly.  
  
Milla noted her boredom and questioned it.  
  
"Why would she be bored of being here?" Milla thought and slapped herself mentally once again as Danir answered.  
  
"A legitimate question that has an obvious answer," Danir said and walked on down the tunnel that Milla could swear was the same tunnel they had past a few minutes ago.  
  
Milla pondered Danir's reply silently as they walked through the narrow tunnel. Milla's ancestor, to Milla's annoyance, threw in random comments when reading Milla's thoughts.  
  
"Maybe she knows because she has to know," Milla thought thinking up yet another idea that was read.  
  
"Milla if I knew everything then that would truly make me a great ancestor," Danir said looking at the corridor walls to see her reflection.  
  
Milla was now fed up with trying to think to herself as it was not possible anymore with Danir probing her mind all the time so Milla voiced her thoughts not caring if they were private or not.  
  
"So the only other explanation would be that you also went through the Trials. Although I highly doubt that," Milla said finally feeling the relief to express herself without having to be mind read.  
  
Milla awaited a witty comeback but when nothing came Milla found it odd but before Milla could speak Danir cut in.  
  
"Why would you doubt the idea that I was here myself?" Danir said a little sadly stopping their stroll to caress a many faceted wall as if remembering something.  
  
"The idea is absurd!" Milla blurted out "You are the ancestor of everyone in your line! You were the. . .are. . . the beginning of my line how could you have gone through something like the Trials," Milla said unsuppressing her emotions.  
  
Silence greeted Milla's outburst then a long sigh escaped from Danir's lips.  
  
"Milla, regardless of how high you think of me I'm still human...was human...I made mistakes then just as you did when you fought Sharakor. Believe me when I say I have been here. This place was in fact constructed for me to use by a few Crones I were on friendly terms with," Danir explained.  
  
"No it can't be...the thought of the legend of history herself would succumb to such a thing is...is...absurd," Milla stuttered.  
  
"Is it really so hard to believe?" Danir asked turning to face Milla squarely in the eyes "You yourself thought yourself unworthy to be War Chief when you were sitting in that ice forsaken chair! Remember?! Odris was bounded to you and you were going up the mountain of light to siege the castle..."  
  
"How did you know that?! That is a private memory! I never permitted you to see that! Stop probing my mind," Milla said raising her voice.  
  
"I never needed to probe your memories, I was there Milla," Danir said calmly trying to lower Milla's voice.  
  
Clearly Milla was in shock about Danir's behaviour when she was still alive and it was expected really but Danir had to let Milla know otherwise they would be stuck in the trial's tunnel forever.  
  
"Milla please calm down and listen to me. You know me. My blood runs through your veins. Do you think I would have been satisfied in my life if I had not found a love to call my own?" Danir coaxed softly.  
  
Milla didn't answer the constant shocking revelations were getting to her and she was speechless.  
  
"No Milla, I wouldn't have been satisfied," Danir said answering her own rhetorical question "Yes I found a love and he just happened to be of the Chosen. I think you know whom I speak of so I won't mention him but I will mention this, I have never regretted my decision," Danir said with a finality in her tone.  
  
"Then why all this? Why the trials?" Milla asked as the questions bubbled up in her mind.  
  
"Unfortunately I was like you...indecisive..." Danir said sadly and turning back to face the multi faceted walls before continuing.  
  
"I was the first ever to do anything like what you are doing now. I was the first to choose a lover of the Chosen and that was more than sacrilege back then. Not many stood by me except for my remaining sisters and I was beyond afraid when I was threatened to be casted out." Danir said shedding a tear as a horrible memory surfaced.  
  
"But you weren't cast out. Why? Why was no one ever told of this?" Milla asked now thinking logically.  
  
"You are War Chief correct?"  
  
Milla nodded.  
  
"Then you know how damaging it can be when a leader that everyone looks up to is at fault. As legends we hold a mighty responsibility that haunts us even as we pass away. If you want proof then look at the way you just acted when I told you I was at fault,"  
  
"Please spirit give me a direct answer," Milla pleaded, her mind was numb and was not registering any of what was being said.  
  
"In short, I was not casted out but given a choice. I had to choose life as an Icecarl or life as a Chosen. I chose Ramellean but not before I was subjected to this torturous maze of harsh truths," Danir said ignoring Milla's plead.  
  
Milla's mind was now beyond shocked and was finally starting to absorb information again.  
  
"You just said you chose Ramellean, how are you still remembered as the warrior of the ice who shackled Sharakor?" Milla asked.  
  
"I wasn't accepted as an Icecarl anymore but my sisters kept my name alive and gave everyone the impression that I was a legend, a pioneer...I was now that I think about it..." Danir said with a sad chuckle before turning to look at Milla firmly and continuing.  
  
"But that is not what you should be asking me, you've missed my point," Danir said wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"What is it then?" Milla asked finally getting up back to speed.  
  
"I said outside that I can only be your guide, the rest is up to you Milla," Danir said sternly.  
  
"But what if I don't get the point of your sad tale?" Milla asked pointedly.  
  
"Then we will be trapped in here forever until you do," 


	35. Frozen figures

Chapter 35  
  
The light in the tunnel faded away as Tal walke3d deeper into the tunnel. Ramellean naturally lead the way although to Tal's disappointment.  
  
"It is my trial shouldn't I lead the way?" Tal said nonchalantly as Ramellean came to a fork in the road.  
  
The former emperor sighed and turned to face Tal his face void of all causality. Tal noticed the look and for the first time while inside his trial Tal felt his courage slip and give way to the pent up doubt and fear he tried hard to bottle up.  
  
"If that is what you want Tal, here is your chance to lead us out of here," Ramellean replied.  
  
"What...what do you mean by 'us'? Tal stammered as he tried to understand what Ramellean was saying.  
  
"Tal I have tried my best to help you but either my memory fails me or ancient magic is at work and this tunnel has changed itself. Tal I don't remember ever coming this way when I took the trial," Ramellean said with a hint of regret in his voice.  
  
Tal processed what Ramellean said and slowly the wheels in his head started to turn again, picking up pace until Tal's mind was racing with questions. Tal knew he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself because Ramellean would simply read them so Tal voiced his fevered thoughts instead.  
  
"You've taken the trial and you've said it was different then to how it is now. Therefore this trial must be mine alone...am I right so far?" Tal asked propping a fist under his chin.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
Tal was about to open his mouth to say something but let it drop and moved to the middle of the fork in the road.  
  
"I choose to go into the right tunnel," Tal said and started walking into the tunnel.  
  
Ramellean followed behind Tal in a thick cloud of silence wafting about him. Tal could feel the old Emperor's regret emanating off of him and bouncing off of Tal causing an equal shield of disconcertion to well up around the trial taker. The two Emperor's silently trudged on. Their respective shields of emotions created a strong tension but before any of them could snap under it they came to a doorway that lead into a pitch dark room. Tal put a foot through the doorway warily and judging from the echo of his footfall, Tal could safely say that it was a very large room.  
  
The darkness started to become a problem that even Ramellean's luminance couldn't fix so Tal summoned forth the purest white light from his sunstone and let it flood the room. What Tal saw made him gape in awe. Before him was a large cavern of stone statues. They all looked real but the thing that grabbed Tal's attention the most was the fact that these statues were twice as large as he was.  
  
Ramellean had similar feelings and decided to walk amongst the statues, brushing them with his hand as he past them to see if they were real. Tal watched his ancestor caress the poised stone figures and saw his face flicker through different emotions.  
  
"These are only statues aren't they Ramellean?" Tal asked walking amongst the frozen figures.  
  
"I hope so," Ramellean replied stopping in front of a particularly large statue.  
  
Tal walked up beside him after making sure these stone figures were just as they seemed. Tal's light had dimmed unconsciously to reserve it's energy so the statues face was covered in darkness. Tal held his arm up further and brightened the light but just as soon as he did, Tal dropped his hand and recoiled in shock. Staring right at Tal with jaws wide open was the one and only Sharakor. 


	36. Tal's fear

Chapter 36  
  
Tal stumbled back in shock and surprise. He tripped over the statues tail and fell heavily on his backside, his eyes filled with fear. Tal had feared Sharrakor when he had fought him and still he feared him but then a sudden shrill cry echoed in the back of his mind and he saw flashes of his encounter with Sharrakor as clearly as they had happened.  
  
FLASH  
  
"Speak your spell!"..."I shall not stay to hear it but I shall seek you out if you still live when I return!"  
  
FLASH  
  
The eyes of the statue glared at Tal and seemed to darken to hollow but strangely vivid pits. The same hollow pits that the real Sharrakor had. Tal was locked in a gaze so strong that Tal couldn't even feel the violent shakes that Ramellean was giving him. Tal was lost in his own fears.  
  
FLASH  
  
...Tal felt blood running down his back as he struggled to turn over. But Sharrakor was too quick and even as Tal got free and raised his hand, the claw came smashing down, pinning him to the rock...  
  
FLASH  
  
The statues eyes glared even more furiously at Tal as it recognised who it was. Tal was on his back and was panting furiously as a cold sweat dripped down his face. Fear gripped Tal with a vengeance and it seemed to grip him tighter and tighter as the eyes of Sharrakor bore into his mind. Then Tal heard the screeching voice he dreaded to hear.  
  
"Tal! You will never escape me. I will always be there in the shadows waiting for you and your friends..." shrieked the terrible voice.  
  
FLASH  
  
...Malen rushed at Sharrakor with a rock in her hand. Sharrakor seared her legs with a red ray and sent her tumbling across the spire...  
  
...Sharrakor clamped his jaws over Crow's hood and swung his body like a rag doll. Then the beast tossed him aside and Crow's body went limp on impact...  
  
FLASH  
  
"I will also wreck havoc on your loved ones!" the voice continued echoing in Tal's head crescendoing into an earsplitting scream.  
  
FLASH  
  
...Milla's limp body lay lifeless on the floor and it didn't move...  
  
FLASH  
  
Tal shook with fear and pain as the voice grew to harsh laughter. Tal was on the verge of breaking up but then he heard a voice cut through the demonic laughter.  
  
"...ight...Fight i...Ta...Fight it Tal!!"  
  
FLASH  
  
...Milla's head rose slightly to find Sharrakor...  
  
...Malen slowly started to chant again...  
  
...Crow crept up behind the thing and wrestled with it until the other half of the violet sunstone ring came off. Crow threw it towards Tal and he caught it as it came skittering across to him...  
  
FLASH  
  
"Arrrgghh!!!!" Tal yelled surprising Ramellean and cutting through the evil laughter, "Die Sharrakor!!!!" Tal screamed lifting his arm and unleashing the most powerful spell he knew directly into Sharrakor's open mouth.  
  
The ray of violet light blasted through the air and covered the distance in less than a second causing the statues head to explode into dust. Then before Ramellean or Tal could do anything the statue crumbled and stared to fall over, right on top of Tal. Ramellean stepped out of the way just in time before the debris came crashing down.  
  
"Tal! No!" Ramellean choked as a thick cloud of dust flung itself up to bar the way. 


	37. Gambling chips

Chapter 37  
  
Harem moved stealthily like the snake he was and slithered behind a tree. The reptilian shadow spied two guards standing in front of the doorway to the hall of Greeting and Farewell and chuckled to itself.  
  
"Thossse guaaards will be noo match for you, Borzog," Harem hissed softly.  
  
"Then why don't we move so I can rip them limb from limb?!" the very large Borzog replied in a low grumble.  
  
"I agree," said a mean looking Storm Shepard already holding a lighting bolt in his hand.  
  
"We goo on my order!" hissed Harem.  
  
"Hmph...Coward..." retorted an Icefang.  
  
"A coward yes but a fool he is not," said a feminine voice behind the shadows.  
  
The creatures looked around for the disembodied voice and cringed to see a female shadow slip off a tree branch and land lightly and silently in the middle of the small gathering.  
  
"SSSorcher; I thought I told you to watch our rear," said Harem.  
  
"I have and believe me it's no easy task when it's your rears are all there is to look at," Sorcher huffed matching everyone's stare of annoyance and anger.  
  
"Well there is one rear that does look beautiful no matter how you look at it," Sorcher said slinking her Stormy body towards the other mean looking Storm Shepard and patted it.  
  
"Sorcher maybe later, we have work to do now," said the Storm Shepard grinning seductively.  
  
Sorcher ceased her patting and moved back with a mischievous grin.  
  
"Always a pleasure Bolt," Sorcher said in a voice as soft as a light breeze then turning towards the group she announced " Harem is right to delay we have company," Sorcher said pointing a slender ye puffy finger down the hill.  
  
"Issss it ssssssomething that you cannot handle yourssself?" Harem asked annoyed that he was interrupted.  
  
"I thought that you might want to come and see what I have found; it may prove useful to us and to our Lord," Sorcher sai all tease lost from her voice.  
  
Harem remained silent for a few moments, flicking his tongue out every so often and then he spoke in a low hiss.  
  
"Borzzzog and Icccefang with me, Bolt go with Ssssorcher and ssssee what sssshe hasss to offer our looord then report back heeere," Harem commanded and resumed his watch on the castle threshold.  
  
Bolt and Sorcher left silently on the wind obediently and went to investigate. Sorcher lead bolt back to her lookout on top of a branch and pointed to a group of Chosen children. Bolt spied them and strained his hearing.  
  
"Dark be damned! It's freezing out here, even with our sunstones," said one of the boys with orange cuffed sleeves.  
  
"I agree," said another boy with green cuffed sleeves.  
  
"I saw them here though," said a girl in a yellow dress who was looking around.  
  
"Please Trine, if you want to play a practical joke then can you please play I somewhere warmer?" said the green boy.  
  
"I side with Zan on this one," said the orange boy.  
  
"But I'm telling you I saw them Gref!"  
  
The two hidden shadows looked at each other with smiles on their shadowy faces. They knew this boy named Gref. He was the Emperor's brother. Just as the two shadows were about to make their move, a noise alerted them. A rustling in the bushes alerted the children as well and it clearly frightened them because they all had sunstones at the ready.  
  
"What's going on here?" said a meek voice from the bushes.  
  
"Come out of there, whoever you are or we'll shoot!" Gref demanded.  
  
Just then out popped a young girl about Trines age but she was from orange and not from yellow.  
  
"Okay I'm coming out don't shoot...um.please," said the new girl.  
  
At the sight of he girl Gref relaxed but only a few hairs before he started to speak again.  
  
"Kusi! I thought I told you to stay in the castle!"  
  
The shadows shared anther secret smile again. They also knew this name well. Fortune it seemed had favored them today.  
  
"Like I was going to let you have all the fun!" Kusi argued.  
  
"You should have listened to me now I have to explain to mother and father why you are missing from the castle as well,"  
  
The two siblings argued for a while until Trine had had enough of the bickering.  
  
"Hey! It doesn't matter if she's here or not, Gref. The way I see it the more people here the more witnesses I have," Trine said breaking up the verbal fight.  
  
"Witness? Witness to what exactly?" Kusi asked now interested.  
  
"To Trine's ground breaking discovery," Zan chirped.  
  
"What would that be?" Kusi pressed.  
  
"I have found a group of free roaming Spirit shadows!" Trine said proudly.  
  
"What?! No way!! Tal sent them all back!!" Kusi said I disbelief.  
  
Before another word could be said, the Storm Shepard's thought it was best to act now before something else was said. They swooped down from their post and grabbed two children each. Sorcher held the Zan and Trine while Bolt got a hold of Gref and Kusi. Bolt then smothered them so they wouldn't make any sounds and spoke quietly to his comrade.  
  
"What do we do with these two?" Bolt asked sending them unconscious with swift blows to the head.  
  
"Take them to our Lord, now," Bolt smiled and disappeared with a pop along with his prisoners.  
  
Sorcher smiled as her mission was accomplished and decided to have a little fun with her prisoners. She let them go and waited until they were far enough for decent target practice. 


	38. Almost there

Chapter 38  
  
The dust cleared slowly and settled finely over many layers of debris. The same debris that now buried Tal. From the outside it looked like nothing could have survived such an avalanche but like a caveroach Tal was hard to kill. Under the rubble was an uninjured Tal lying on the flat of his back. A violet hue washed over him as he stared at the pulsing shield he was busy trying to keep between him and the tons of rocks that was threatening to crush him should his shield fail him.  
  
Emergency light magic was a technique that even the most experienced light mages found hard to perform and now Tal knew why. Emergency light magic is triggered by instinct and emotion therefore should the casters concentration waver even for the briefest of moments, the magic will fail. The strain of the constant effort of concentration was getting to Tal. He was looking for ways out but as soon as his mind strayed to thoughts of escape the shield flickered dangerously.  
  
At times like this Tal wished he was somewhere else and then once again the thought of Milla in his arms spurred him on. Tal set his jaw, determined now more than ever to escape just so he could be with Milla. He considered his options and what he had to work with. All he had was his light magic and his wit. Tal thought up of ways to get out but none seemed possible until a thought struck him, odd as it was. Milla had told him many times of how hard it was to pry herself from his arms in the mornings when they slept together. This thought spurred another idea that did seem possible and Tal set to work immediately. Tal felt for the ends of the light shield and started to expand it as far as he could without breaking it or making it too thin. Then, without losing concentration, he started to curl the edges. He continued to curl the violet shield until it resembled a large bowl. Tal's brow furrowed sharply as he felt the mental strain of pushing the rubble skywards.  
  
The strain was draining to say the least and since he was using emergency light magic, the strain only worsened as he progress. Tal pushed the light shield and felt the agony of pressure on his mind but continued to push. For Milla he pushed and finally when he came to the end of his concentration he titled the bowl to the right and dumped the gravel. Relief struck his tired mind and as he savored the blessed relief his shield flickered and died. But that didn't matter anymore. Tal was staring up at the ceiling and breathed in fresh air. Then he stood up a little too quickly and as a result found himself unsteady. Nausea hit him with a vengeance and flogged his mind repeatedly.  
  
"Finally, what took you so long?" a voice said cutting through Tal's nausea long enough for him to focus.  
  
"Well when you're buried alive one does tend to take ones time to consider if it's better to stay buried than to rise again," Tal said sourly at his ancestor.  
  
"It's nice to see that the little mishap didn't take away your sense of humor," Ramellean said totally ignoring Tal's bitterness towards him.  
  
"Why didn't you help me out?" Tal said trying to make guilt spread into Ramellean's mind to no avail.  
  
"Well I figured that you could have done it yourself, you got out didn't you? What kind of emperor would need his followers aid every time a little accident happens?"  
  
"You think being buried alive is a little accident?!"  
  
"Oh don't be such an alarmist Tal, you're safe now and that's what matters. If I were you I'd come up with a way to getting to the final arena instead of wasting your energy acting like a Borzog,"  
  
Tal grumbled but knew he was right. They did need to get out and they needed to get on with more pressing matters. Tal searched the room and besides the pile of rubble and the other freakish statues of frozen stone Aenireans found a way out. At least he hoped it was a way out.  
  
"Over there let's go," Tal said heading off.  
  
"Yes and we must hurry, it's not very good to keep women waiting,"  
  
Tal stopped and spun to question Ramellean face to face.  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"You need to hurry the women are waiting in the last arena hall,"  
  
"What? How do you know?"  
  
"Danir told me so. I can feel her tension, we have to hurry,"  
  
Tal was about to ask how he could feel his wife's tension when he decided to let it go. It wasn't his business and after all he had better things to do. Tal picked up his pace a notch and wandered into yet another dark hallway. Lighting his sunstone, Tal extended a hand to feel for a wall. His hand brushed something like stone and using the wall as a guide, Tal moved down the hall. After a while the wall curved and was no more. Tal raised an eyebrow and aimed his light at the ground only to find that he was only a quarter of a stretch away from what looked like an endless chasm.  
  
"Oh great! I knew this was coming. Icecarls will be Icecarls," Tal raged venting his frustration out over the chasm to get an echo.  
  
Ramellean finally caught up with him and asked what he was yelling at.  
  
"Tal what in light's name are you yelling at?"  
  
"Take a look for yourself," Tal said pointing into the nothingness.  
  
It's just a big hole," Ramellean said summing up the point to Tal's annoyance.  
  
"I know that but how are we going to get across? I see no other side and I don't think light magic will get us over there either. Look," Tal said pointing his beam into the darkness that seemed to swallow up the light.  
  
"I see," Ramellean mused.  
  
"What do we do? Go back?" Tal asked.  
  
"We can't door's sealed," Ramellean said still musing.  
  
"What can I do? I'll never see Milla again," Tal said almost breaking up.  
  
"Oh don't be so dramatic," Ramellean said finally looking at Tal.  
  
"Tal, do you know what this darkness is?"  
  
"No,"  
  
"It's veil substance. Tal your looking at a Veil Barrier," 


	39. Changes due to redundancy

Chapter 39  
  
Kira snapped an icicle in two with her large battle axe and smashed the remnants with a heavy kick of her left ice skate. The icicle shattered into a million shards of ice and sprayed itself over the deck of the Ruin Ship.  
  
"One down thirty more to go," Kira mused and moved off to find another icicle to destroy.  
  
Apparently Salama the new shield mother decided it was best to separate Breg from Kira. After returning from the Trials, Salama calmly explained why the two were always paired together when assignments were handed out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I had hoped that the both of you would learn from each other," Salama said calmly whilst arching her fingers as she sat in her high backed chair.  
  
"I had hoped that you were able to learn from each other, the flaws you both possess are many and though they are good in their own ways, I'm afraid that they are compromising your chances of becoming shield maidens," Salama continued no quaver in her voice.  
  
Breg and Kira stiffened. They both wanted to be shield maidens very much and they had thought they would make the cut but apparently they were now staring at the possibility that never occurred to them.  
  
"I'm sorry, Breg. I had thought that you were the one that would bring a lighter presence to the Icecarls in this new time of unification. I wished that I could have been right. You are dismissed but before you go, know that I'll summon you for your punishment later,"  
  
The calm voice of the shield mother didn't break its stride even as Breg turned and left. Kira looked stiffer than usual as the shield mother now turned her eagle like stare on her.  
  
"Kira I have always known that you'd be the perfect shield maiden," Salama started.  
  
Kira relaxed a few hairs but knew this was just a ploy to get her off guard so she remained stiff, ready to take what was dished out to her.  
  
"You are what is to be expected and more. You, Kira, are the most disciplined and well trained Icecarl I have ever trained and I am proud to call you a shield maiden even if you don't become one. You are so talented, that even the War Chief will need to watch her back while she's around you,"  
  
Now this was too much. Kira was good at taking verbal bashings but compliments and comparisons to legends are out of her league and even she couldn't take her own self-righteous swelling up in her. She like being complimented and although her mental block was waning she had to admit it was worth absorbing, after all she did earn these things.  
  
"However, no matter how talented you are, you still have a long way to go. Let me tell you something. A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told no matter how moral or not. Kira you are a warrior and a warrior alone. I'm afraid to say this but it must be said; in this day and age of peace, a warrior is only needed when called upon, therefore our race will soon die as a warriors and become something new,"  
  
"What will we become?" Kira asked afraid she already knew the answer.  
  
"Redundant...Redundant but unified to our ancestors, the Chosen,"  
  
Kira was silent but deep down she knew the truth. They would be redundant. Her warrior skills will mean nothing in the near future. That is if she lived that long. Kira was now starting to realise how pointless her life was and soon fell into a semi state of despair. Salama knew the look that was now showing through on Kira's face.  
  
"Kira as I said before, you are the best warrior but as a normal human being you lack qualities that I had hoped you would pick up from Breg,"  
  
"Like what?" Kira blurted out now angry "All I have ever learnt from Breg is patience are you saying there is more to her than her clumsiness that I haven't learnt?!"  
  
Salama remained silent and thought deeply. Clearly shedding her warrior soul would be difficult. Then a thought arose in Salama's mind. What if she could help her a different way?  
  
"It's seems to me you are losing your patience and as such you have not learned a thing from Breg. So I see that you are in need of a new partner. You want to be a warrior? Then fine be one, but be warned there is no room for a warrior in this new day, you're dismissed,"  
  
Kira was taken aback but left as she was told to. As soon as she passed the skin curtain she regretted having left. It only proved that Salama was right, she was a drone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!  
  
The icicle flew right off the edge of the crows nest and landed heavily off in the distant snow. As dark as it was from the top of the crows nest, Kira saw movement on the deck and decided to investigate. As she hopped of the last rung, Kira turned to face the newcomer and was more or less annoyed to see who it was.  
  
"What are you doing here? Want a rematch? I'm not in the mood," Kira said turning her back to Corin.  
  
"That seemed familiar..."  
  
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!  
  
Kira continued her chore of icicle bashing, ignoring the holes being burnt into her back by Corin's stare. Then Kira couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Do you like watching me being punished? Or do you just like seeing people suffer?" she asked huffing.  
  
"Such an unfair comment; you know I thought you looked quite beautiful the first time we met. I had hoped we could be friends but now I know what you really are,"  
  
"Oh and what am I?" Kira asked sarcastically, however her tone was somehow mixed with curiosity, which meant that Corin's flattery had hit its mark and as soon as she realised this she harshly berated herself.  
  
"Poison; your beauty is only skin deep. It's a husk that conceals a beast within," Corin said lightly almost casually.  
  
Kira wasn't offended by the remark but it had hurt her a bit. It was true she had been told she was too much a warrior but she was never called beautiful. The remark confused her. Was Corin trying to make an attempt to court her or was he just being nice?  
  
"Look, just tell me what you're doing here?" Kira demanded.  
  
At least that's what she thought it sounded like. It sounded more like a plea to Corin. The boy sighed and for once felt the presence of the girl he had wanted to know since he met Kira.  
  
"I'm your new partner," 


	40. My big fat Icecarl wedding

Chapter 40  
  
"What's taking him so long?" Milla wondered.  
  
"Be patient my daughter, they'll be along soon, I can feel it," Danir said her voice echoing through the circular room.  
  
Milla looked around and was taking note of every detail she could lest she needed to defend herself in this place. The room was a large round room with many portcullises and a mysterious black opening that Milla didn't dare go near. She had a funny feeling about it and if there was one thing she did trust herself about, it was the fact that her instincts were usually always right.  
  
"What are you thinking about Milla?" Danir asked trivially.  
  
"You know what I think, ancestor," Milla replied shortly as she neared another noise emit from one of the gateways.  
  
"Relax Milla, I know when will be let out as it will be on my command," Danir said casually with a dismissive wave.  
  
Milla whirled on this new revelation and started her predicable line of questioning.  
  
"What do you mean when you say they and by my command?" Milla asked getting suspicious.  
  
"I'll explain when Tal gets here; it'd be much easier if I explain once and thoroughly than in bits and pieces," Danir said moving to face the mysterious dark opening.  
  
Danir's eyes glowed brightly like a Crones' and they seemed to penetrate the darkness as she seemed intent on what was happening. Milla peered into the gloom but saw nothing. Her only indications of the happenings inside the darkness was Danir's facial expressions and they worried Milla as she saw the flickering of emotions ripple across her ancestors face. Milla couldn't take the suspense anymore and had to ask what was happening.  
  
"Ancestor what's going on? Is it bad or good for us?" Milla asked sword already half way out.  
  
Danir's eyes dimmed and returned to their normal ethereal glow.  
  
"It looks like we'll be having company soon," Danir said happily and moved off to the center of the room.  
  
Milla was about to ask when she heard a noise and whirled to meet it with a sword in hand. Milla sheathed the sword immediately as she saw who it was. Tal came tumbling out of the darkness falling head over heels and his great ancestor came through as well although he walked through plainly.  
  
"Tal!" Milla yelled in relief and rushed to help him up.  
  
"Milla? Is that you? I can only see stars now," Tal said getting up slowly with Milla's help.  
  
"What happened to you?" Milla asked concerned she had already summoned a blue glow of healing from her sunstone.  
  
"It's okay I'm fine I just need to regain my sight just let me be for a few minutes,"  
  
"Tal what happened?" Milla insisted getting more worried at Tal's slackness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After freeing himself from the rubble, Tal and Ramellean his great ancestor moved off quickly in the only available exit. The fear of another so called attack from a statue would be most disconcerting to Tal right now as he had just managed to escape death once again. Soon they had made their way to a wall in the road and Ramellean, however casual about it, identified the wall to be a Veil of some sort.  
  
"What should we do now?" Tal asked his guide.  
  
"Go through it of course, what else?" he replied.  
  
"I don't know how large this Veil is how long do I need to hold my breath?" Tal asked thinking practically.  
  
"I don't know and neither will you until you try but I'm pretty sure that there's air in there,"  
  
Tal shrugged and stopped thinking, he trusted Ramellean as he always seemed to be right. Tal took a last breath before plunging into the darkness before him. Tal was smothered in darkness and as usual the crushing feeling of the Veil pressed in on Tal. He had expected this feeling and was ready for it but what he wasn't ready for was the unexpected slide show of his past, present and future. The images rolled past him in a blur. In the Veil nothing could be seen, heard, smelt or tasted but Tal definitely broke that rule and as the images played on the 'walls' Tal realised how mundane and non existent rules were in his current place. Tal moved on through the Veil stepping forward diligently ignoring the images of his birth and his adventures in Aenir which took up most of the good parts of his life. Curiously Tal looked at one of the images and saw Milla pressing her blade to his throat in Aenir. Tal could feel the burn of her anger and the bitterness of her sorrow which took him by surprise. Tal stopped to watch history repeat itself. The quick thumb jabs had just put Tal to sleep. Milla ran off while Odris remained and spoke with Adras until finally she went after her new companion.  
  
Tal looked away as the images went blurred again as if fast forwarding the more boring bits of his life. Then it stopped again but Tal pressed on knowing he'd feel old feelings that he had forgotten but then something made him turn his head once again and this time Tal stayed put long enough to feel dread and worry form in his stomach. The two feelings he hated the most next to fear.  
  
A little girl played with a Chosen crystal ball. Tal watched the girl play and smiled as he felt a wave of happiness wash over him. The happy little girl looked much like a person he knew. The images blurred again but only for a moment as the next image flicked into life. The small girl was now running happily through a corridor, Violet halls by the look of it. She then stopped at what were now Tal's bedroom chambers. The girl burst into the chambers as if she were rightfully able to and moved off to find something or someone as Tal noticed that she was calling to someone.  
  
That someone came. Tal stared fixedly at the person who stood in the doorway to his bathroom and realization floated into his mind more than surprise did. It was him but Tal was older and somehow happier. The girl smiled and as she did Tal was hit with more déjà vu, where had he seen that smile before? Just then a knock at the door and the girl spun and a broader smile came to her face. She ran to the door and jumped into the open and expectant arms of what Tal presumed was her mother. The image slowly crept up from the smiling girl to the face of the woman she was hugging and surprise now hit Tal as he realised it was Milla!  
  
Tal stopped watching as weirdness crept over him and proceeded to walk again. Once again the images blurred and eventually faded for a few minutes leaving Tal to assume many things about what he saw. If his assumptions were correct then the girl was his daughter and her mother was Milla. Tal shuddered at how weird the idea was but then he started to consider the possibility and strangely enough he came to feel as if he somehow expected as much.  
  
Just then the images reappeared and started to spin around him making him dizzy. Memories randomly stood out and played themselves as they separated themselves from the whirlwind of blurred images. Tal couldn't take it anymore as he felt that he was being choked by regrettable things he had done. When Tal tried to press forward he was hit by an image that physically hurt him as well as emotionally pounding his feelings. One memory that hurt him a lot was recent memory of being crushed by the news of Milla's leaving. Tal had tried to forget the hurt but it surfaced once more unconsciously. Tal was bashed again and again by similar memories which opened long buried hurts. Tal felt like he was being cut but not physically. The images provoked pain like a hot knife going through him. He couldn't take it as past ghosts came back to haunt him so he summoned up as much strength as he could and barged straight at the memory wall and with sheer will power tumbled through the hurricane.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Tal's sight slowly returned along with his senses. Milla watched him and wondered why he was acting so strangely and was about to shake him out of what ever trance he was in when suddenly he stood up and embraced her tightly.  
  
"Milla it's good to see you again. I have been on the most challenging trial ever, what about you?" Tal asked not noticing Milla's weird glances.  
  
"It's also nice to see you Tal but I must ask is everything alright? I feel as though you are on the edge of breaking up?" Milla asked worriedly.  
  
"You have no idea," Tal said and went into a garble of events that didn't make any sense until he summarized.  
  
Basically I went through the most emotionally and mentally challenging tests I have ever gone through in my entire life! Oh and did you know that our ancestors actually went through the same thing.  
  
Milla nodded and added her own summary.  
  
"I know. I too have found many revelations that were disturbing at first but it did explain many things. I've been through many trails in my life but none such as shocking as the ones I faced," Milla said bringing Tal into a hug "Although they were worth going through if it meant being in your arms again,"  
  
"I agree," Tal said lifting Milla's chin to place a soft yet relief filled kiss on her lips.  
  
Milla surrendered to it and returned Tal's kiss with her own relief and as Tal's tongue breeched her lips Milla welcomed it willingly feeling the warmth it provided. They parted after a few moments as it dawned on them that there was still work to be done and they were wasting time.  
  
Together they looked for their ancestors and found them in a similar stance as they were, together hand in hand.  
  
"Are we free to go? We have passed all the Trials and we have urgent business to attend to," Tal asked being the Emperor he was.  
  
"You have one more Trial to pass, and we must say it's not really a trial but more of a rite of passage," Danir said casually and smiled mischievously.  
  
Before Tal and Milla could say or ask anything Danir vanished and appeared behind Tal and somehow conjured up shackles. Then she proceeded to chain him to where he stood.  
  
"Wha...?" Tal began before he noticed Ramellean vanish as well and then appear behind Milla.  
  
He then disappeared again whisking away Milla with him. Tal looked around for them and furiously asked what was going on.  
  
"Danir what is going on? We have passed all your tests and we need to go back and sort out our own troubles. Let me loose!" Tal said demanding his freedom.  
  
"All in good time Tal. Ramellean and I are going to give you a luxury we never had," Danir said in the tone she'd use to explain something difficult to a child.  
  
"What? What exactly does that mean? Are you going to chain me up for all eternity?" Tal exaggerated.  
  
His patience was thin and any moment he'd lose total control and call the beast.  
  
"Tal calm down, I'll explain just listen to me. I never had the chance to have a true Icecarl wedding as it was frowned upon and I just want one of my daughters to have the privilege that I never had," Danir explained calming Tal a little.  
  
"What exactly are you saying? Milla and I are going to get married? Icecarl fashion?" Tal said confused but no longer hostile.  
  
"Yes," Danir said "You are taking this news rather well. I don't think the shackles are necessary now," she continued in a light and happy tone and waved her hand making the shackles disappear.  
  
Tal rubbed his wrists and thought it was a little too much and decided to voice his feelings however unimportant they were now.  
  
"You know you should have just told me, there was no need to chain me," Tal said although Danir wasn't listening instead she seemed to be listening somewhere else.  
  
"Ramellean has just finished explaining what is happening to Milla and I think it's safe to let you see each other now," Danir said about to vanish but then stopped mid fade.  
  
"Wait I almost forgot. Do you wish to fight with one of our weapons or do you want to use the sunstone?" Danir asked.  
  
"What?" Tal asked confused.  
  
"It's a simple do you want to use a sunstone or a sword or an axe or a bow you know Icecarl weapons?" Danir asked as if what she was saying was obvious.  
  
"Um...my sunstone will do," Tal said uncertainly.  
  
"Good," Danir said and smiled as she faded.  
  
Danir materialised a moment later in the ceiling in a mirage like window with Ramellean and Milla at her side. Tal looked puzzled and wondered what they were doing in the ceiling when he noticed Milla pointing frantically at something. Tal followed her pointing and stared shocked at what faced him. A few stretches away a portcullis was open and the something was shuffling its way out from it. As it hit the light of the torches that surrounded the room Tal gasped as he recognised it to be the same thing Milla and he had fought long ago. It was the one eyed Merwin and it did not look happy. It shuffled forward further into the light and was almost upon Tal when it stopped. A bright collar flared into life and when it hit the center of the circular room it growled in frustration as it could go no further.  
  
"Great...Typical Icecarl wedding...always fighting even on their wedding..." Tal muttered and readied his sunstone. 


	41. revelations

Chapter 41  
  
Kira stood gob smacked on the deck of the ship. Corin had just announced that he was Kira's new partner. The news was shocking at first but then again Kira had expected as much.  
  
"But why Corin? Isn't he in the service of the Far Raiders Crone?" Kira thought.  
  
Kira stared at Corin dumbstruck and didn't realise that she was until Corin moved up to her and took the axe from her and started to hack away at the large icicles. Kira yielded to his touch and found herself thinking of how well developed the boy was. He wasn't even a boy to begin with. He was smaller than a thane and yet from their frequent encounters, Kira knew that he surpassed a thane's skill easily. Kira also knew from gossip on the ship that Corin was roughly the same age as Kira, maybe even older by a circling or so. Kira snapped from her trance as icicle chips flew her way. As rude as the gesture was, it was enough to spark up old flames of anger in her. Kira concentrated on the anger and fueled it for as long as she could. At least that way she could behave more like herself than a dumbstruck fool like she was before.  
  
"This is my job, I don't need your help to remove icicles," Kira said evenly.  
  
Corin stopped his swinging and shouldered the axe and smiled a rare smile he showed only to those who he liked. Kira found it hard to keep the anger flowing inside her and knew it was futile to keep it going as the small flame inside of her was snuffed out effortlessly by the sudden grin.  
  
"If you want to continue your chore then by all means," Corin said from the other side of the deck.  
  
Kira frowned at Corin.  
  
"I'll need my axe," she said putting her hands on her hips.  
  
Corin chuckled silently.  
  
"If you want it then I suggest you come and take it,"  
  
Kira frowned and strode towards Corin keeping her stare level with his amused gaze. Kira reached for the axe when she was in arms reach of the axe but was taunted when Corin yanked it from her reach.  
  
"Enough games Corin! I need to get back to work," Kira said lamely schooling her anger into a mild irritation.  
  
"I agree. Time to fight me," Corin said hurling the axe skillfully into an exceptionally large icicle.  
  
Kira kept her eyes on him as he crouched into a fighting stance. The usual flare of energy flourished inside her as she felt the thrill of another fight but the energy was sapped from her as Salama's words echoed into her head.  
  
"...A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told..."  
  
Would Kira be duped into a petty fight with Corin because he demanded it?  
  
Corin didn't sense Kira's hesitation and launched at her with a punch. Kira saw it coming at the last second and narrowly sidestepped it. Corin threw another punch and from there it became a dodging game. With each blow that Corin dealt came a certain satisfaction every time it was dodged. Kira should have relished in the feeling but her mind was far from the fight. Instead it had flown back to Salama's quarters.  
  
Corin was growing tired of playing and decided that warm up was done. He had not landed a single punch and it irritated him but then again neither had Kira. The boy stepped up the fighting a notch and forced Kira to block or parry. This was a test in Corin's reckoning and he was testing Kira's worth. Corin knew he was the superior fighter but he lacked the altruism that Kira possessed but it didn't matter now. It was a survival match and if Kira didn't match up he would have to reject Salama's proposal to him.  
  
Corin made his way to the feasting hall to collect food for his Crone. Although he felt like an errand boy he obeyed. The hall was filled with novice shield maidens and was alive with chatter. Not a place Corin wanted to be right now but he had his duties that couldn't be ignored. Corin found a tray and loaded it with food and drink for three people. Satisfied that he had enough food, Corin balanced the load and left the hall with strange looks from novices. They had apparently thought that he needed all that food. Corin ignored the stares and the occasional whispers of the word "hoarder" and quickly made his way back to his Crone's quarters.  
  
When he finally made it back, Corin's keen hearing picked up conversation behind the Crone's door. From what he heard it was Salama who was conversing with his Crone and he decided that it would be best to come back later but as soon as he heard his name mentioned, Corin itched to eavesdrop. Knowing that it was a punishable act Corin dropped to one knee anyway and pressed his ear on the door lightly as his curiosity won out in the end.  
  
"I'm here to claim him back. I have the right but I decided to ask first,"  
  
"How nice of you Salama. You wish to claim him back just to use him to teach a brat of girl manners?" the Crone spat disdainfully  
  
"He was never part of the Far Raiders and you know it, he's one of us and there is potential in him to grow even further here. I'm simply motivating the 'brat', as you call her, to see how unimportant our race is now that we have no need to fight anymore,"  
  
"But what will you do with Corin after that? Will you abandon him again after you use him?"  
  
"No, of course not. He will also come to know the pointlessness of his training,"  
  
"I have heard enough. The boy is fragile, too fragile in mind to deal with such a proposal. He may have excelled like your Kira through every task I have given him but that doesn't make him your pawn! He is still a child! I won't let you claim him just so you could set him up for more disappointment,"  
  
"I thought we could help each other out but it seems that you have steeled your mind. Very well I will claim him tomorrow with force if necessary,"  
  
Corin heard a shuffling and a dull clap of gloves and heard heavy boots approach the door. The door opened but Corin was frozen in place. He had just heard something of his mysterious past and it had made him slow as it numbed his brain. Slowly he tilted his head and looked up at the towering woman before him. Salama was clearly just as shocked to hear him.  
  
"Corin?" Salama's shock turned into outrage and then subsided in mild relief.  
  
When Corin continued to stare Salama pulled him into the room roughly making him land at the Crone's feet. Shock had disappeared from Corin as he was snapped back into reality. He wasn't a Far Raider as he had originally thought. Although his past never bothered him before, Corin had always known in some ways that he wasn't part of their clan. Seeing the realisation in his eyes the Crone saw the truth.  
  
"You heard," the Crone said rigidly.  
  
It wasn't a question. Corin had indeed heard the heated debate about him and in some ways he wish he hadn't.  
  
Salama proceeded to tell Corin of her proposal not caring if he heard or not.  
  
"Corin from what you have heard, I can guess that you know by now that you are of the Ruin Ship. I will fill in the details later when you are ready to listen but for now this is what I propose. I want you to partner with a girl you are familiar with. This girl has been read by a mother Crone and although see has great potential there is something that ails her and I want you to be the cure. Do you accept to help this girl?"  
  
"Kira..." Corin said his mind still only functioning at 80%.  
  
"Yes Kira is the one I wish for you to get acquainted with. She needs guidance and my efforts to do so have failed and the only way I have left is you."  
  
"Why me? What happened to her other partner Breg and what do you plan to do with me and Kira?" Corin said his mind getting faster.  
  
"What indeed..." The Crone muttered.  
  
"I want you two to find something deeper between yourselves, something deeper than rivalry. When you find it, you may be released from the Ship if you wish and go where you choose but until the I have you under my command,"  
  
"Do I have time to think about it?" Corin asked.  
  
"Yes but not too long, I fear our time is rapidly coming to an end,"  
  
"What did she mean by that?" Corin thought as he delivered a fast kick.  
  
Kira parried and moved back, her thoughts still far away from the fight. The two fighters battled on regardless of how distracted they were.  
  
Kira decided to attack now forcing Corin to block. She snapped a kick straight at his jaw.  
  
"Corin, do you know what I ask of you?"  
  
Corin caught Kira's ankle and began to twist making Kira kneel and forcing her to fall onto her hands palms down.  
  
"You are asking me to love her..."  
  
Kira snapped another kick to Corin with her free leg and vaulted herself upright using her arms as springs.  
  
Corin got to his feet and was panting hard clearly distracted as the thought was pummeled into him with flurry of attacks from Kira. Corin was knocked senseless to his knees. Kira delivered the final blow. A kick straight to the chest and Corin was floored. Kira felt the familiar victory surge and placed a heavy boot on Corin's chest in a claim of triumph. "Can you love her?"  
  
"Do you submit?" Kira asked panting.  
  
Corin lay there for a while not responding but focusing on Kira's face and how beautiful she looked as the sunstone light from the mast gave her a halo. Corin smiled in realisation, he could love her. Kira applied more pressure with her foot and the spikes caused Corin to grimace.  
  
"Will you submit to me?" the question was softer than Kira had expected but an answer was given.  
  
"Yes..." He replied.  
  
To both questions. 


	42. Epilog

Epilogue

Surprisingly, dying didn't hurt all that much. Lingering on the cusp of life and death, Tal Graile Rerem became more than himself. Floating endlessly in a void of purity, Tal felt his identity being stripped away to join a Collective and yet Tal felt that he still existed on some miniscule level.

"Who am I?" he thought

"I know who I am," a part of him said.

"Come with us," said the Collective.

"I can't…" Tal answered.

At this point, all of his answers were instinctual which made the next question from the Collective a bit difficult to answer.

"Why?"

He didn't know why. He felt torn between the agony of living and the eternal peace of moving on to the next realm. Logically anyone would choose eternal rest but Tal felt anchored to life. His thoughts dwelled back to the dark world and yet he seemed so far from his thoughts that the best he could muster were a few incoherent memories of his life.

The fall from one of the seven towers. Binding a Cloud Shepard. Flying through the Red Tower steam pipes with Ebbitt. Watching Milla leave the mountain of light. Diving into the ocean in Aenir with Adras' booming thunder echoing in his ears. Dancing through the crowd of people with Milla in his arms. The fight with Crow. Appointing his mother and Ebbitt as his Viziers. And finally, being skewered by a Merwin.

Jumbled memories that made no sense to Tal in his half-enlightened state of being. What use did he have for a bunch of senseless memories? He probably should just join the Collective and be at peace. Something tugged at him though. A strong tug pulled him back to the memory of a Merwin skewering him. Tal watched in horror as he saw his own body being ripped through with holes. Pointless…That was all he could think of even when watching the final moments of his life. What was the point to all that violence? Why couldn't he remember? Did Tal want to remember?

"Take your time. We'll always be here waiting for you," said the Collective.

"You know I want to go…But you also know why I feel like staying here…Why? Tell me why I'm feeling like this?" Tal asked.

"You have attached part of your soul to another entity. That is what is keeping you here," said the Collective.

Tal had a vague glimpse of a ferocious beast with fangs and claws.

"_That_ creature is housing part of _my _soul?"

"Yes…To become one with us you must choose to leave everything behind," said the Collective.

"Leave everything?" Tal thought.

What would he leave behind? Would he regret leaving things as they were? Milla's face appeared in a hazy image. She was smiling. Tal concentrated harder and flexed his will to make the image clearer. The image slowly sharpened and as it did, Tal felt a wave of emotions wash over him.

"Milla! I can't leave her!" Tal gasped.

"To enter our realm you must leave all worldly things behind. Leave Milla. She will join us when it is her time. It is now your time. Come." The Collective said ever so calmly as if stating a fact.

"No…I won't leave her. She needs me. That Merwin will kill her!" Tal protested.

Images swam in the void and suddenly Tal found himself back in the chamber of the Trials. He watched his body hang loosely from the Merwin's horn from across the room. Tal shook with rage and tried to reach his body but his spiritual form would not move.

"Let me go. I have to get back!" Tal said struggling in vain.

"Now is your time to free yourself from this pain. Why do you choose to go back?" asked the Collective.

"I need to save Milla," Tal said.

"What can you possibly do?"

"I can try!" Tal said feeling his rage heighten.

Tal felt the Collective's hazy hold release and in that moment he flew towards his body just as Milla was dropped from the ceiling of the chamber.

As Tal flew, he wondered if he would get back in time to save his love from the literal jaws of death.

Corin and Kira walked the halls of the Ruin ship in a silent agreement that they were now stuck with each other. Just as they entered the feasting hall, Breg came up to them and demanded an explanation in so many words.

"What's going on?! I was just told that I've been reassigned to scroll listing and that I was to report to the records hub. Now I see you two together and it all makes sense! Kira how could you?! I thought Corin would be the last person you'd pair with!"

Corin made eye contact with Kira and tilted his head slightly. Kira looked around and saw that Breg was quickly becoming the center of attention. Kira let Breg rant on and on as she took her hand and led her away from the hall to the quiet of the corridors.

"Honestly was I that bad as your partner? I admit that I wasn't the best but I did keep up with you. I never worsened in skills…"

Breg halted as Kira placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and forced Breg to look her in the eyes.

"Hush Breg! It was not of my choosing that I was paired with the boy. This is something very unusual in itself you know. For a shield maiden cadet to be paired with a young thane has never happened before…"

"Unless the boy was a berserker and needed a woman's calming touch to halt his temper…" Breg growled but clearly understood that her anger at Kira was misplaced.

Kira sighed. It was an insult to be sure but it had no bite so she couldn't harbour any anger towards Breg. The time she had spent with her was invaluable. Kira would never forget her. Breg was one of the very few friends she had. Perhaps the only one true friend.

"Breg. It is saddening that we have to go our separate ways but we must play the part we have been given. Discipline in behaviour…"

"…Is the first step to growth and wisdom. I know, I know…The first rule of a shield maiden…"

"Strength in knowledge. To know your enemy is the first step to defeating them. Rule number four of a shield maiden," Kira countered gently "Reading scrolls all days might give us a clue as to how we can beat our enemies. You haven't been replaced Breg. You've risen to a position to direct us brawlers. I hate to admit it but if peace times are truly in the future then in the end, Corin and I will no doubt find ourselves useless by the end of this final battle. Rejoice Breg, you've been given an important job that will be of use in the future,"

"Icecarl ways are changing…" Breg admitted "But I hope our friendship won't,"

Kira chuckled and hugged her friend.

"I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to,"

Corin watched from the entrance as the two girls embraced. Envy struck him but he suppressed it. What he wouldn't give for a companion like Breg. He turned away from the emotional sight and walked down the corridor towards his sleeping quarters. When he reached the room, he found his former Crone sitting in wait.

"Unusual that Salama would take you back at this time. I think she has great plans for you," said the Crone evenly.

Corin sighed. He recalled someone mentioning that he was not originally part of the Far Raiders. A fact that he took for granted until now.

"I don't report to you anymore do I?" Corin asked.

"No. That does not mean that you don't listen to my advice as a friend does it?" The Crone asked slyly.

"No I suppose it doesn't…" Corin said sitting next to the Crone as if she were a friend.

"Listen to me. I don't know what she's planing but Salama is hiding something from us. I don't know why but a person in her position must carry secrets so maybe I'm being over cautious however heed my warning. Be alert for anything. A sign of odd character or a tell of some sort. That way you'll know when she's lying to you,"

The Crone fell silent but her warning echoed in his mind. Trust no one. That's what she was saying. Has he ever trusted anyone so far? Corin recalled the fights Kira and he had been in. The girl was skilled to be sure, was she trustworthy though? Could Corin really trust her to be his partner? Doubts formed in his clouded mind, which only served to darken his mood. As he sat there in thought, Kira came through the doorway to Corin's surprise.

"There you are," Kira said dragging the boy to his feet.

Corin looked to his right and found no one there. He looked around the room but there was no sign of the Crone. Was he going mad?

"We've just got our first mission. We are to patrol the passes. Scouts have reported strange tracks in the snow and we are sent to investigate,"

Kusi awoke to the harsh rattling of her brother shaking her. Her eyes slowly opened and her hearing returned.

"Kusi wake up," Gref said.

Kusi noticed that her brother was slightly alarmed but relieved as she awoke fully from unconsciousness. Her head hurt something fierce but something in her brother's tone made her worry about more than her throbbing head. Looking around, she saw the lava everywhere. Hot and sulphurous fumes wafted up between the gaps in the cage. Besides the heat, Kusi could see that they were high up and the height alone was staggering.

"Don't squirm too much. The vines might snap from our weight," Gref said pointing upwards towards a very ratty looking vine.

It was the only thing holding them from the deadly churning rushes of lava.

"How'd we get here? Where is here?" Kusi asked no longer moving.

"I don't know but we don't have our sun stones and I've never seen lava in the dark world," Gref said.

"Do we at least know our captors?" Kusi asked.

"I never thought about that," Gref said thinking that he should have.

Just then, rumbling laughter rang out. It was a deep rumbling that shook the cage and their bones to their very core. Gref and Kusi suddenly felt intense heat as they saw something rise from the depths of the lava.

"I am your captor little mortals!" said a huge and dark monstrous figure before it boomed its laughter once again.

This was all too much for Kusi and Gref who passed out from the shock and heat.

"Have I done well?" asked a quiet yet piercing voice.

"Hmm? You have done nicely, Crone. These pups will come in handy. Once you lay waste to the castle and the Icecarls I'll use these two mortals to gain the keystones and I will finally be free of my bonds!" said the monstrous figure before booming a last sinister laugh.

Yale smiled a similar sinister smile.

"They'll never know what hit them," she said quietly before disappearing in a wave of rainbow colours being emitted from two new sunstones.


End file.
